Thomas E. Sykes

Thomas E. Sykes
March 2, 1929 to May 27, 2022

Tom was born to Bill and Mae Sykes in Rochester, New York. His older brother Richard enjoyed having a baby brother. As they grew older, they also liked playing tricks on each other! They were a fun-loving family who laughed easily!

Tom graduated from high school in 1948, then started college classes at Oswego State Teachers' College. When he was drafted, he joined the Air Force and was stationed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He saw the neon cross at First Baptist Church and decided to attend on Sunday. He met a young lady named Dorothy Blackwell, who was interested in the young Airman from New York. He also spoke with the pastor, who explained salvation through faith in Jesus. Tom thought that since he was a member of a Presbyterian church and had been sprinkled as a baby, that he was already a Christian. The pastor explained some verses in the Bible, that you need to repent of your sins and ask Jesus to save you—which he did. That evening he felt like God was calling him to serve as a minister.

As Tom dated Dorothy, they fell in love and were married January 1, 1953, at First Baptist Church. He eventually moved from the Air Force to Oklahoma Baptist University, where he completed his college degree. Then they moved to Louisville, Kentucky, for schooling at Southern Seminary. Their daughter Stephany was born at the beginning of their time in Kentucky, and their son Dale was born right before Tom graduated with his Master in Divinity.

Tom pastored churches in Indiana, became a Director of Missions (DOM) there and helped churches who needed pastors or other assistance. He and Dorothy helped many people, including their children, come to faith in Christ. When Dorothy developed rheumatoid arthritis, they moved to the hot, dry climate of Yuma, Arizona, where he pastored and became the area DOM.

Tom and Dorothy moved to Georgia, where he worked at the Home Mission Board (now the North American Mission Board) in Atlanta until he retired. They moved to Topeka, Kansas, where he became DOM for that area for several years as well.

About a year after Dorothy died, Tom moved to Mountain Home, Arkansas, to be near his son Dale, daughter-in-law Gigi and their children. He lived there for 13 years and enjoyed supply preaching in the area and being with all his friends at church. In 2019 he moved to Bentonville, Arkansas, to live with Dale and Gigi. They went to church together most Sundays.

On May 27, 2022, Tom went to his heavenly home to be with the Lord forever.

He always loved being with his family, which include two children: Stephany (Gary) Woods and Dale (Gigi) Sykes; four grandchildren: Katrina (Jonathan) Baines, Benjamin Woods, Westin (Kaytlyn) Sykes and Annie (Cameron) Avilez. His great-grandchildren are Emma, Anna and Joy Baines; and Graham Thomas Sykes and Reid Elias Sykes. All his immediate family, as well as one nephew and two nieces were with him.

Tom was such a loving, sweet, hard-working Christian man, who is loved by all his family and friends. He will be missed, but we know we'll be together again someday!

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