Donald “Don” Sprague, of Wiscasset, passed away on May 23, 2025 surrounded by his loving family. Don was a gentle man, well liked and known for his kindness and easy smile, as well as for his enterprising nature. He was always developing inventions to solve everyday problems. He was an avid ham radio enthusiast, and he loved to travel. He loved computers and everything to do with technology and taught himself programming in the early days of PCs and Macs. He loved music (especially polka music), politics, family, food, and boating.
Don was born in Bath on July 11, 1943 and grew up in Wiscasset. He graduated from Wiscasset High School in 1961, where he was an accomplished track star. He studied engineering at the University of Maine in Orono and was then recruited by NASA, where he joined the team that created the fuel cells used in the Apollo Moonshot program.
His willingness to try new things then led him around the country, dabbling in various trades such as bait dealing, bridge painting, and insurance sales (to name a few) before eventually settling back in Maine. He and his wife Mona started their plastics recycling and pinwheel-making business, Sprague Plastics, where they sold pinwheels everywhere from fairs and trade shows, as well as to stores and toy distributors. They sold Sprague Plastics to Valley Toys in the early ‘80s, and they relocated their family to California, where Don was hired by Valley as VP of toy development, putting his engineering acumen to use developing new toys.
They returned to Maine in 1987, and Don started Downeast Solutions, where he worked as a freelance computer programming consultant. Don pioneered Maine’s elver fishing industry, beginning by fishing for elvers in the late ‘60s, and returned to the industry when he returned to Maine. Don was an integral part of the elver boom of the ‘90s, working as an exporter and buying from several hundred fishermen around the state. His passion for the industry took him around the world, from China to the Caribbean, as he worked towards expanding the elver market. He remained an advocate for and active in the industry until his death.
Donald was predeceased by his mother and father, Grover and Thelma (Berry) Sprague.
He is survived by brothers, Frank Sprague and wife Linda, of Wiscasset, and Marvin Sprague, of Wiscasset; his wife, Mona Sprague, of Wiscasset; son, Kelsey Sprague and partner, Sarita, of Edgecomb; daughter, Jaime Sprague and partner, Chris, of Mount Vernon; daughter, Cindi Seiders and partner, John, of Rockland; and his daughter, Dawn, of Illinois; his five grandchildren, Savannah Seiders and husband, Taegan, of Houston, Texas, Zoie Sprague, of Richmond, Noah Cunningham, of Waldoboro, Ben Cunningham, of Illinois, and Veda Tibbetts, of Mount Vernon; as well as great-grandson, Jerimiah, of Richmond.
He will be greatly missed by all.
“Elver, elver!”
A memorial service will be held later this summer at a date to be announced.
Arrangements are under the direction and care of the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home, 612 Main St., Damariscotta, ME 04543. Condolences and messages for his family may be expressed by visiting stronghancock.com.
