WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. —  Dr. John L. Sprague, Sr, (91) of Williamstown, MA, passed away on July 5, 2021 in Bennington, VT due to complications from a recent surgery.

John is survived by his wife of 69 years, Mary-Jane (Jid) Whitney Sprague, his son John Sprague, Jr. of Shutesbury, MA, his son Bill and his wife Liz Sprague of Williamstown, MA, his daughter Cathy and her husband Steve Wolf of Pelham, MA, and his youngest son David and his wife Mitsuyo Sprague of Sterling, VA. In addition, John is survived by 10 grandchildren and 1 great grandson.

Born in Boston, MA, John was the son of Florence (van Zelm) Sprague, and Robert C. Sprague, the founder of Sprague Electric Company, a leading electronics firm. He graduated from Middlesex School in 1948 and from Princeton University in 1952. While at Princeton he fell in love with his future wife Jid, and they were married right after graduation. John spent four years in the US Navy during the Korean War, including a stint in electronics school, and went on to receive his PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from Stanford University in 1960.

Growing up, John always loved science and technology, and as a young boy was busy “blowing up” things in his room. He continued that fascination through Princeton, Stanford, his business career, and frankly until the day of his passing. As he said recently to his orthopedic surgeon, “isn’t this just an engineering problem”.

After finishing his Naval career as an electronic officer on the USS Northampton, and completing his PhD, with a dissertation entitled “The Nature of Metal to Semiconductor Alloy Junctions”, John tried to find a job in the nascent semiconductor industry. Companies in Silicon Valley were concerned about his family connections and the potential risk to trade secrets. These concerns, along with his father’s persuasion led him to join Sprague Electric as a research scientist in 1960. The job proved exciting and included participating in seminal work on integrated circuits. Eventually John became head of the Research Labs, then head of the Semiconductor division, and eventually, President and CEO of the Company. As a scientist, John authored 9 patents and was instrumental in the creation of a disc that carried goodwill messages from leaders of 73 countries on a silicon wafer the size of a 50-cent piece that was left on the Moon in 1969 by the Apollo 11 astronauts.

During his career at Sprague, the Company was the largest employer in the North Adams area, and today the former Sprague facilities are the home of MASS MoCA, the largest contemporary art museum in the country.

After his retirement, John founded a well-respected consulting firm that provided strategic and operational support for a variety of technology companies. When his business life began to wind down, he put his attention into writing and publishing, authoring numerous articles focused on the work of his grandfather, Frank J. Sprague, and also authored or supported the publishing of several books that chronicled his grandfather’s legacy as the “Father of Electric Traction,”, as well as his father’s legacy, and the history of Sprague Electric.

Outside of his business career, John had a rich assortment of interests and hobbies. Chief among those was love of his wife and family. John, Jid and their family went on numerous memorable vacations, including camping trips, an African safari, the ranch in Wyoming, excursions to China and Antarctica, and dozens of scuba trips all over the world. John took his last dive on his 85th birthday. John was also an active wine collector and connoisseur, becoming the head of the North American chapter of the Confrérie Des Chevaliers Du Tastevin, the most influential Burgundy wine society in the world, and John and Jid enjoyed wine tasting dinners with friends. In 2002, he authored a book on the Society titled - "History of the Commanderie D'Amérique".

Throughout his life, their home in Williamstown was a central presence and foundation for the whole family. Christmases and summer gatherings have been a key feature of the lives of his children and grandchildren. John and Jid stayed actively involved ,and wanted to know about each of their diverse interests and beliefs. Throughout his life, they felt his love, encouragement, and support. Locally, he and his wife were also active in many local non-profit and other organizations, including Williamstown Rural Lands, the Williamstown Theater Festival, the Clark Art Institute, and Pine Cobble School, where he was in the initial class in 1937.

Funeral services will be held at 11 am on July 13th at St John’s Episcopal Church in Williamstown, MA. Services will be live streamed at https://www.youtube.com/c/stjohnswilliamstown/live.

Memorial contributions can be made to Williamstown Rural Lands and St. John’s Episcopal Church. To add to the Book of Memories, please visit www.flynndagnolifuneralhomes.com