Obituary of Ruth Nelms Gibbs Sykes RUTH NELMS GIBBS SYKES Virginian Pilot - 02-25-2005 SUFFOLK - Ruth Nelms Gibbs Sykes, 82, went to be with the Lord Feb. 24, 2005, in Obici Hospital in Suffolk. A native of Suffolk, she was retired from Colonial Stores after 32 1/2 years of service. She was the daughter of the late Leslie F. Nelms Sr. and Ida Harrell Nelms, the widow of Arthur William Sykes and sister of the late Henley Nelms. Mrs. Sykes was a lifelong member of Suffolk Presbyterian Church and an active volunteer and member of the American Red Cross for many years. An avid fisherman, she enjoyed many years of fishing on the Chesapeake Bay and deep sea fishing with her husband Captain Bill Sykes of the Anna B. These fishing days earned her many citations for record-size fish. Mrs. Sykes leaves behind to cherish her memory a daughter, Joyce G. Gerald of Suffolk; a son, Phillip A. Gibbs and his wife Pixie of Franklin; three granddaughters, Kelly Gerald of Suffolk, Gretchen G. Jones and her husband Danny of Suffolk and Ginny Turner and her husband Chris of Franklin; four great-grandchildren, Kayla Hawkins, Haylee and Brandon Turner and Will Jones. A celebration of Ruth's life will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. in Suffolk Presbyterian Church by the Rev. Allen Johnson. The family will receive friends in the R.W. Baker & Co. Funeral Home & Crematory today from 7 to 8 p.m. and other times at her daughter's residence, 114 Warren St. Condolences may be left at www.rwbakerfh.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ––– Narrative Summary of the Obituary ––– Ruth Nelms Gibbs Sykes, of Suffolk, died 24 Feb 2005 at age 82, leaving children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. A funeral service was held 26 Feb 2005 at Suffolk Presbyterian Church in Suffolk, officiated by Rev. Allen Johnson; burial location was not stated. ––– Transcript ––– RUTH NELMS GIBBS SYKES Virginian Pilot - 02-25-2005 SUFFOLK - Ruth Nelms Gibbs Sykes, 82, went to be with the Lord Feb. 24, 2005, in Obici Hospital in Suffolk. A native of Suffolk, she was retired from Colonial Stores after 32 1/2 years of service. She was the daughter of the late Leslie F. Nelms Sr. and Ida Harrell Nelms, the widow of Arthur William Sykes and sister of the late Henley Nelms. Mrs. Sykes was a lifelong member of Suffolk Presbyterian Church and an active volunteer and member of the American Red Cross for many years. An avid fisherman, she enjoyed many years of fishing on the Chesapeake Bay and deep sea fishing with her husband Captain Bill Sykes of the Anna B. These fishing days earned her many citations for record-size fish. Mrs. Sykes leaves behind to cherish her memory a daughter, Joyce G. Gerald of Suffolk; a son, Phillip A. Gibbs and his wife Pixie of Franklin; three granddaughters, Kelly Gerald of Suffolk, Gretchen G. Jones and her husband Danny of Suffolk and Ginny Turner and her husband Chris of Franklin; four great-grandchildren, Kayla Hawkins, Haylee and Brandon Turner and Will Jones. A celebration of Ruth's life will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. in Suffolk Presbyterian Church by the Rev. Allen Johnson. The family will receive friends in the R.W. Baker & Co. Funeral Home & Crematory today from 7 to 8 p.m. and other times at her daughter's residence, 114 Warren St. Condolences may be left at ––– Vital Statistics ––– |-----------------------------------------------| | Name | Ruth Nelms Gibbs Sykes | |-------|---------------------------------------| | Age | 82 years | | Birth | 1922 (estimated); Unknown (estimated) | | Death | 24 Feb 2005; Obici Hospital, Suffolk | |-----------------------------------------------| ––– Table of Relationships ––– |----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Name | Relationship | Residence | |------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------| | Ruth Nelms Gibbs Sykes | Decedent | Suffolk (implied) | | Arthur William Sykes | Husband, predeceased (widow of) | Not stated | | Leslie F. Nelms Sr. | Father, predeceased | Not stated | | Ida Harrell Nelms | Mother, predeceased | Not stated | | Henley Nelms | Sibling, predeceased | Not stated | | Joyce G. Gerald | Daughter, survivor | Suffolk | | Phillip A. Gibbs | Son, survivor | Franklin | | Pixie Gibbs | Daughter-in-law, survivor (wife of Phillip) | Franklin | | Kelly Gerald | Granddaughter, survivor | Suffolk | | Gretchen G. Jones | Granddaughter, survivor | Suffolk | | Danny Jones | Grandson-in-law, survivor (husband of Gretchen) | Suffolk | | Ginny Turner | Granddaughter, survivor | Franklin | | Chris Turner | Grandson-in-law, survivor (husband of Ginny) | Franklin | | Kayla Hawkins | Great-grandchild, survivor | Not stated | | Haylee Turner | Great-grandchild, survivor | Not stated | | Brandon Turner | Great-grandchild, survivor | Not stated | | Will Jones | Great-grandchild, survivor | Not stated | |----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| ––– Publication Details ––– |----------------------------------------| | Field | Value | |----------|-----------------------------| | Location | Suffolk, Virginia (implied) | | Name | Virginian-Pilot | | Date | 25 Feb 2005 | |----------------------------------------| ––– Other Relevant Information ––– • She was a native of Suffolk. • She retired from Colonial Stores after 32 1/2 years of service. • She was a lifelong member of Suffolk Presbyterian Church. • She was an active volunteer and member of the American Red Cross for many years. • She was an avid fisherman. • She fished on the Chesapeake Bay and deep sea fished with her husband on the Anna B. • She received many citations for record-size fish. [See also: www.findagrave.com/memorial/167965865/ruth-anna-gibbs_sykes www.findagrave.com/memorial/241027229/winton_ireland-gibbs (spouse) www.findagrave.com/memorial/167965757/arthur_william-sykes (spouse) www.findagrave.com/cemetery/50666/holly-lawn-cemetery http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/cemeteries/hollyln.txt ] [Contributed by Bruce Saunders, bs4403@verizon.net Formattinng and references by the Southampton Transcription Project] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may have contributed to the creation of this text. Please verify critical information, as AI-generated content can include errors.] [This file is https://go-stp.com/BruceObituaries/ShowText.html?Sykes, Ruth Nelms Gibbs.txt]