Joe and Ann Gabica – Friends of Sparks High School

Joe was born in Winnemucca, Nevada in 1952 to a Basque ranching family. Ann was born in McPherson, Kansas in 1954. They both graduated from Trinity Catholic High School in Hutchinson, Kansas where they met. Joe received an Associate in Engineering Design Technology at the University of Nevada and a Bachelor of Architecture from Kansas State University and became a registered Architect.  They were married in Hutchinson in 1974 and have lived full time in Sparks since 1978. They had two sons, Chris (SHS 1996) and Dan (SHS 1998) and one granddaughter, Madilyn who are deceased. They have four surviving grandchildren.

Joe retired from Washoe County School District as the Chief Facilities Management Officer in 2018 after 35 years with WCSD. Ann started with WCSD in 1985 as a clinical aide and retired as an Executive Assistant for Area Superintendents in 2014 after 27 years with WCSD.

At Sparks High, Joe was the Junior Varsity men’s soccer coach in1994 and head Varsity men’s soccer coach from 1995 until 2000. He tied for Men’s Northern Nevada high school men’s soccer “Coach of the Year” in 1995 and won the award outright in 1997. Joe was acknowledged for his “tireless efforts for the betterment of SHS” in the 1995 SHS Annual-The Terminus.  Ann was acknowledged as a WCSD classified employee of the month during her time with WCSD. Upon their retirement, WCSD named the Soccer field at Sparks High School in their family name.

After their son, Dan, and granddaughter Madilyn, died in 2016, they, along with older son, Chris, formed a Non-profit organization, the Teal-Fleur-De-Lis Group, whose sole intent is to raise funding for academic Scholarships at Sparks High. The Non-profit raises the funds through an annual “Cornhole Tournament”, a memorial event for Dan and Madilyn and now, Chris. Tens of thousands of dollars have been raised for academic scholarships through this continuing effort.

Joe and Ann would like to Thank the staff at Sparks High for the job they did educating their two sons and the friends that they and their sons made there. The memories of the years at SHS will never be forgotten.

Inducted 2024