Elinor Sykes

Elinor Sykes's earthly stay was over on October 24, 2022. She left behind her colorful collection of jackets and jewelry, a family who speaks proper English due to her intolerance for grammatical errors, and an empty freezer where the dead bird once resided. Seriously. But I digress. Mom would have chided me to get to the point, so I will. She was the best mom, Nonny, and Great Nonny in the world. "Nonny's House" was where the fun began-baking cookies, putting on talent shows, or learning to water ski. It all happened with her. We will remember her as a great golfer-shooting four holes-in-one and winning three Gull Lake (Michigan) Country Club championships. To her great disappointment, she never achieved her goal of winning the Kalamazoo (Michigan) City championship, although she was runner up several times. Mom was a skilled bridge player, and she used those skills to accumulate a sock full of change and the admiration of her fellow players. She also played a cutthroat game of cribbage with whichever grandchild or great grandchild might dare to challenge her. Mom didn't like to share her age, but she would admit that she was born on April 26, 1924. Do the math. I have to say she wore those years well, and in her heart, she never aged past 50-even when her children did. She married William E. Sykes on April 3, 1943 and enjoyed 61 years with him before he died in 2004. Her son William R. Sykes, also preceded her in death. Mom was proud of her family and loved spending time with them. Her legacy of love, laughter, kindness, and generosity live on in our family: her children, Terry Bradshaw (Bill) and Kathy Shimp (Steve); her daughter-in-law, Fran Sykes; her grandchildren, Chris Bradshaw (Helen), Kathy Bradshaw, Kevin Shimp (Kathleen), Kelly Sawczyn (Read), Scott Sykes, and Jared Sykes (Bonnye), and seven great grandchildren. A private celebration of life (a "pink-out," with all wearing pink in her honor) will be held at a later date. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades Counties for Hurricane Ian Relief Funds. Donations can be made online at swfl.iphiview.com, or checks designating the Hurricane Ian Relief Fund may be mailed to United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades at 7273 Concourse Drive, Fort Myers, FL 33908. There you have it. This one's for you, Mom. RIP. We hope that you are sitting on a cloud with Dad and wearing your pink Ultrasuede suit.