Kira Landsman Sparta

Freeport, ME - Kira Landsman Sparta of Freeport, Maine, passed away on Sunday, March 6, 2022 at the age of 50. Kira was born in Lewiston, Maine on August 25, 1971 to Jules Landsman and Betty Bacchiocchi Landsman Libby. From earliest childhood, Kira was both infinitely curious and a voracious reader. Several further qualities of Kira were unmistakable from the start: a passionate love of the outdoors, an infectious fascination with how things worked, and a raucous sense of humor. Kira welcomed her stepfather Randy Libby into her family, and soon after, her younger brother Jared. Together, the family enjoyed countless camping trips and cross-country journeys. Back at home, Kira delighted in weekly dinners with her maternal grandparents, Rose and Bruce Bacchiocchi, and the annual intergenerational holiday cookie baking led by Rose. Out of the eleven varieties they churned out, it was the lemon bars that were Kira’s favorite. At Yarmouth High School, Kira enjoyed being a drama club geek, and it was during these years that she began to hone her acumen in all things 1980s pop music that would later surface on many a mixed tape, which Kira loved to personalize for her friends. It was then, too, that Kira shared her passion for gadgets with Jared, easily bridging the nine-year age difference between them. During her childhood summers, Kira enjoyed spending time with her father in Miami, where she loved learning how to sail at camp and dining on Cuban food. After graduating from Yarmouth High School in 1989, Kira attended Vassar College, where she proved to be an astute observer of both bat and human behavior. A biopsychology major, Kira studied abroad in Australia her junior year, conducting bat research and ultimately befriending one named Chloe, who would respond to Kira’s call and “hang out” on her shirt. Kira also hung out with humans, making lifelong friends who became her extended family. Whether talking late into the night in Davison, dancing to “Bizarre Love Triangle” at the AULA, or taking in a meal at ACDC, Kira delighted in her friends. Over the years, Kira took on a range of jobs that revealed her multifaceted strengths and passions. In one, Kira counted terns on an island off the coast of Connecticut. After graduating from Vassar in 1993, Kira spent time working as an interpretive ranger at the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, living in a decrepit trailer in the middle of a field with her pet rabbit, and, during migration season, scores of Canadian geese. Upon returning to Maine in 1994, Kira worked with developmentally disabled young adults at the Spurwink School in South Portland. It was while working at Spurwink that Kira met the love of her life, Ken Sparta. Together, they shared a love of adventure, the natural world, and the rugged beauty of their beloved Maine. They found a house for sale in downtown Freeport, relocated it on the back of a truck, and then, on several acres of land, turned that house into a home, one that always resounded with the yelps of the dogs who couldn’t have been more excited to greet them every day. They sold camping equipment at LL Bean, traveled to Peru and Italy, and became Registered Maine Guides for sea kayaking, and earned NAUI Scuba Diver Certification. All the while they were getting to know their own craggy coast, where Ken would later farm oysters and kelp with their son Leo. In Ken, Kira found someone who shared her fondness for gadgets, but also her relentless curiosity, and her zest for exploring every aspect of the world, near and far. Ken and Kira were married on May 25, 1997. While devoted to the natural world and fascinated by creatures large and small, it was in supporting children that Kira found her professional path and passion. Kira earned a Masters degree and certification in Speech and Language Pathology at the University of Maine, Orono. She worked as a consultant in preschools and a counselor in private practice, and then on to the BEACH Program in Portland Public Schools and finally, Washburn Elementary School in Auburn, Maine. Kira was dedicated to her students with autism and advocated for them fiercely. She met students where they were, identified their potential, worked hard to support their development, and honored and celebrated them, their varied interests, and their communicative abilities. Without a doubt, the greatest gift Kira ever received was her incredible son Leo. Leo’s infinite curiosity for the world around him matches her own. His uncanny ability to take things apart and put them back together again is something she marveled at and celebrated. Like Kira, Leo is interested in everything, and dives into each successive endeavor with his entire being. Kira loved their days at the beach, their bike rides in the woods, and their time on the water in Leo’s boat. She was a devoted volunteer for Boy Scout Pack/Troop 45. Over the last three years, Kira took great pride in watching Leo work alongside Ken at Spartan Sea Farms, enjoying the oysters that Leo farmed and then seeing them on the menu at Helm Oyster Bar & Bistro or Union Restaurant. While it would be impossible for Kira - or anyone else - to keep up with Leo’s skills in mountain biking, Leo and Kira became gym buddies this winter, working out together three times a week. There was so much that Kira loved to do. Like planning. Kira loved to plan, and she had few rivals at it! Anyone who spent time with her appreciated her ability to map out in meticulous detail a special afternoon, a weekend getaway, or an overseas adventure. For decades, she attended the annual MOFGA Common Ground Agricultural Fair, enjoying the fiber displays, the herding demonstrations, and the shiitake mushrooms. She was also a fixture at the Yarmouth Clam Festival, eagerly setting up chairs for loved ones in advance of the parade, anticipating the Shriner cars, and treating herself to lime rickeys. With friends and family, she snowshoed on Rangeley Lake, hiked Mount Katahdin, swam in the Pemigewasset River, camped in Acadia National Park, went diving in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, kayaked in the heart of winter in the frigid waters of Casco Bay, and competed in the Toboggan Nationals. You never knew where you might find Kira; if you found yourself in Portland, Maine on New Year’s Eve of the year 2000, that was her, costumed as the head of a dragon, marching through the city to usher in the new millennium. Along with her mother Betty, she traveled the Northeast touring Frank Lloyd Wright homes. She left no bizarre seltzer flavor untasted, and would get a gleam in her eye whenever she stumbled upon the existence of an outlandish one. Kira was also an accomplished fiber artist. She knit, spun yarn, and worked her loom. So many of her friends and family own hats, shawls, mittens, and socks made by Kira’s hands. Somehow, in the midst of so much activity, she continued to be a lifelong reader, one who always had a recommendation individually tailored for you. Over the last year, Kira devoted herself to refitting her camper van, Art Vandelay II, from rewiring to reupholstering. Leo will lovingly continue the restoration and ensure that Art has many future adventures. As a final gift to this world, Kira donated her organs. She lives on in the hearts of all who knew her, and she lives on inside the bodies of others. Kira is survived by her husband, Ken Sparta, and her son, Leo Sparta; her mother Betty Landsman Libby and stepfather Randy Libby; her brother Jared Libby and sister-in-law Sara Schieffelin; her father, Jules Landsman and her stepmother Tali Landsman; her sisters-in-law Kathy Sparta and Jane Wagner, and brother-in-law Mark Wagner; nieces Elizabeth, Christina, Jamie, and Alison, nephews Dan, Greg, and Seeger, and countless grandnieces and nephews (all recipients of Kira-knit blankets). Kira is also survived by her beloved dog, Zip. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, March 19th at 1 p.m. at Camp Hinds, 146 Plains Road, Raymond, Maine. It’s March in Maine: wear boots. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Leo Sparta College Fund. For more information, go to: https://gofund.me/c7cfe533 Kira died by suicide; her family firmly believes that speaking openly of depression and suicide is a crucial step toward addressing them. Resources can be found at the National Institute of Mental Health: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/suicide-prevention.

Kira Landsman Sparta

August 25, 1971 - March 6, 2022