O.C. Couple Left Lasting Impressions on Family, Friends and Co-Workers

Tom and Julie Sperber boarded Swissair Flight 111 on Wednesday night eagerly anticipating the dream Mediterranean honeymoon they had been putting off for more than a year.

“They were going on a cruise where they could island-hop and relax and enjoy,” said Cheryl Smith, one of Julie Sperber’s best friends. “They were going to work on starting a family, but Julie refused to have children until they had a honeymoon.”

The Sperbers were among the 229 people who died when the jetliner carrying them crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Nova Scotia. The San Juan Capistrano couple’s death left family members, friends and neighbors in deep grief Friday, all struggling to understand how two such vibrant people could so suddenly be gone.

“They were just beginning their life,” said a tearful Smith. “Everything stopped too early.”

At a family birthday party a few weeks before the trip, some relatives asked the couple to reconsider their plans given the recent U.S. embassy bombings in Africa.

“I thought it was a bad time to travel with what was going on in the world,” said a cousin, Frank Sperber. “But it was their honeymoon.”

The couple would have normally flown out of Los Angeles to Europe. But they opted to visit relatives in New Jersey first--a decision that placed them on the fateful flight out of New York.

Loved ones recalled the Sperber’s wedding in the spring of 1997, which took place at Casa Romantica in San Clemente on a cliff overlooking the beach. More than 50 friends and relatives attended.

“They were both totally committed to each other,” said Smith, who was one of the bridesmaids that day. “They knew they loved each other.”

Ria Zuleeg, who lives two doors down from the Sperbers, said Julie Sperber played in monthly Bunko card games, which rotated between neighbors’ homes.

“Instead of being here on Wednesday playing Bunko, she was in that damn plane,” Zuleeg said. “Instead of being in my house, where they should have been, they went to Greece.”

Zuleeg said when the couple moved in, neighbors quickly dubbed them “Young Tom and Julie” because an older couple with the same names already lived on the block.

The Sperbers had not yet finished remodeling the beige two-story home in San Jan Capistrano, where they moved two years ago. But that didn’t stop them from hosting numerous get-togethers and parties.

“They were a wonderful host and hostess,” said Janet Sperber, Frank’s wife. “They were just the kind of people who made you feel at home instantly.”

The news hit neighbors hard. “We all didn’t believe it at first,” said Brian Schroeffer. “How could it happen to them? They were going on vacation.”

In addition to frequently entertaining at their home, the couple took part in a variety of sports and outdoor activities, including golf and snow skiing. Tom Sperber also played tennis; his wife played racquetball and softball.

The couple also doted on Phoebe and Schafer, their beloved German shepherds. They adopted them even though both dogs suffered from hip problems.

“They loved their dogs,” Janet Sperber said. “Their two German shepherds were like their children.”

Tom Sperber, 39, was a salesman for the Camarillo-based H.W. Baker Linen Inc., a manufacturer of sheets, bedspreads, towels and blankets for hotels and hospitals. Julie Sperber, 33, worked in sales for Bristol Meyer Squib in Irvine. Both were fondly remembered by co-workers.

“He was very bright,” said David Clay, a former co-worker who remained a close friend. “He handled his money wisely. He saved and drove second-hand cars. I always thought that was a sign of intelligence.”

Clay left to start his own company, All Star Linen, and began competing with his good friend.

“Even his competition couldn’t help but like him, and I can say that because I’ve been on both sides of the street,” Clay said. “He was a very successful salesman. He was one of the company’s best.”

Julie Sperber had also done well at the Irvine pharmaceutical firm where she received promotions and won an achievement award that came with a free trip to Hawaii.

“She will be very dearly missed by this organization, by her friends and anyone else who has ever had a chance to know or even meet her,” said Robert Bain, a co-worker and friend. “She was a star.”

Julie Sperber specialized in selling cardiovascular equipment to doctors, co-workers said.

“Whatever she put her mind to, she did above and beyond. She went beyond what was expected of her whether it be personal or professional,” Bain said.

Cheryl Smith no longer works at the company but became close to Julie Sperber when the two women were assigned to work as sales partners.

“She was just genuine and pure, warm and loving, honest to the bone but tough as nails,” Smith said.

Some family members were in the process Friday of flying to Halifax, where they will face the grim task of identifying the bodies. Tom Sperber is survived by five siblings and his mother. Julie Sperber is survived by both her parents and two brothers.

Smith said that funeral arrangements have not been made, “but both families have agreed on one thing: they will be buried together.”