Francis Schaubel was better known as Sparky.

He was a mainstay at veterans parades and until it closed he was a regular fixture at the 10-Minute Dish in downtown Renton, a second set of hands for owner Cindy Kartes.

At 85 he wanted to parachute from an airplane to mark the anniversary of D-Day. His doctor said no, worried he might hit the ground too hard with dire consequences.

Tuesday, friends and family will gather at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Tahoma National Cemetery to bury Sparky, who died Jan. 22. Afterward, they’ll gather for a memorial service at VFW Post 1263, 416 Burnett Ave. S., where Sparky was active for many years.

His family asks that donations go to the Veterans of Foreign Wars or to Post 1263.

Sparky, a longtime Renton resident, was 90.

He served proudly in World War II, enlisting with his brother Clayton on Nov. 28, 1941, just days before the attack on Pearl Harbor.

He was a member of “Hell on Wheels,” Second Armored Division, a part of General George S. Patton’s famed Third Army in Europe. A tank driver, he was awarded a Bronze Star. After the war ended, he stayed behind in Europe with the Army to teach the Dutch how to operate and maintain the new International Harvester tractors from America.

He had an engaging personality. To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, he wore an elaborate leprechaun costume. He would participate in veterans parades, marching or riding in a military vehicle.

And he could cook. He was known for his liver pâté, corned beef and cabbage and rhubarb pie. He shared those talents through his volunteer work in the kitchens of friends and service organizations.