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Obituary of Charleton Wilhoit Sykes

CHARLETON WILHOIT SYKES

Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk, VA) - Wednesday, April 21, 2004

Charleton Wilhoit Sykes, 83, a well-known Southampton County
businesswoman and civic leader, died April 19, 2004, at Southampton
Memorial Hospital in Franklin, Va., after a brief illness. Mrs. Sykes
was born May 7, 1920, in Albemarle County, Va. one of 11 children of the
late Clarence Ezekiel and Nannie Belle Thorpe Fiers Wilhoit.
She was predeceased by the father of her two daughters, Joseph Louis
Sykes Jr.; two sisters, Louise Wilhoit and Nannie Edwards; and four
brothers, Cecil, E.Q., Monty R. and Clarence E. Wilhoit Jr.
Survivors include her two daughters, Nancy S. Strachan and husband Les
of Bedford, Va. and Beverly S. Briggs and husband Al of Newsoms; three
sisters, Amorette Turner of Pamplico, S.C., Mabel McNair of Hartsville,
S.C. and Caroline Morris of Manteo, N.C.; a brother, Richmond Wilhoit of
Florence, S.C.; and many nieces and nephews that Charleton loved and
many treasured friends, especially little children.
Mrs. Sykes was a proud U.S. Navy veteran of World War II and played
womens professional softball for the South Carolina Baby Dolls. Mrs.
Sykes was very active in business, especially in the Newsoms-Boykins
area. She will be remembered as the former owner and operator of the
Newsoms Dry Cleaners, Sears, Roebuck CSM Store in Boykins and the Sykes
Furniture Store in Boykins and Newsoms.
Mrs. Sykes enjoyed serving the community on many civic affairs. She was
a longtime member of the Newsoms Town Council, former mayor and was one
of the first women in Tidewater to be elected to a Board of Supervisor
position. She served on the Southampton County Board for 24 years and
four months. Mrs. Sykes was a member of the Board of Directors of the
Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, Senior Services of
Southeastern Virginia, Southampton County Social Services and a former
member of the Policy Council of the Southeastern Virginia Job Training
Administration. Mrs. Sykes was a member of Newsoms United Methodist
Church, its United Methodist Women and Boykins American Legion Post 276.
A funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday in the chapel of Wright
Funeral Home, Franklin, Va., with the Rev. Dr. Gary Hartman, the Rev.
Kenneth Williams and the Rev. Raymond Bunn officiating. Burial with
Naval honors will be in Riverside Cemetery , Courtland , Va. The family
will receive friends at the funeral home today from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and
suggests that, in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to Newsoms United
Methodist Church, P.O. Box 297, Newsoms, VA 23874, The Childrens Center,
600 Campbell Ave., Franklin, VA 23851, or the Boykins Volunteer Rescue
Squad, P.O. Box 347, Boykins, VA 23827.
To honor her memory hug someone, phone a loved one, help your community
and remember to vote.

Edition: FINAL
Section: LOCAL
Page: B9



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––– Narrative Summary of the Obituary –––

Charleton Wilhoit Sykes died 19 Apr 2004 in Franklin, Virginia. She was born 7 May 1920 in Albemarle County, Virginia, daughter of Clarence Ezekiel Wilhoit and Nannie Belle Thorpe Fiers Wilhoit. She was a businesswoman, civic leader, Navy veteran, and longtime Southampton County official.

Funeral services were held 22 Apr 2004 at Wright Funeral Home, Franklin, Virginia, officiated by Rev. Dr. Gary Hartman, Rev. Kenneth Williams, and Rev. Raymond Bunn. Burial with Naval honors followed at Riverside Cemetery, Courtland, Virginia.

––– Transcript –––

CHARLETON WILHOIT SYKES

Charleton Wilhoit Sykes, 83, a well-known Southampton County businesswoman and civic leader, died April 19, 2004, at Southampton Memorial Hospital in Franklin, Va., after a brief illness. Mrs. Sykes was born May 7, 1920, in Albemarle County, Va. one of 11 children of the late Clarence Ezekiel and Nannie Belle Thorpe Fiers Wilhoit.

She was predeceased by the father of her two daughters, Joseph Louis Sykes Jr.; two sisters, Louise Wilhoit and Nannie Edwards; and four brothers, Cecil, E.Q., Monty R. and Clarence E. Wilhoit Jr.

Survivors include her two daughters, Nancy S. Strachan and husband Les of Bedford, Va. and Beverly S. Briggs and husband Al of Newsoms; three sisters, Amorette Turner of Pamplico, S.C., Mabel McNair of Hartsville, S.C. and Caroline Morris of Manteo, N.C.; a brother, Richmond Wilhoit of Florence, S.C.; and many nieces and nephews that Charleton loved and many treasured friends, especially little children.

Mrs. Sykes was a proud U.S. Navy veteran of World War II and played womens professional softball for the South Carolina Baby Dolls. Mrs. Sykes was very active in business, especially in the Newsoms-Boykins area. She will be remembered as the former owner and operator of the Newsoms Dry Cleaners, Sears, Roebuck CSM Store in Boykins and the Sykes Furniture Store in Boykins and Newsoms.

Mrs. Sykes enjoyed serving the community on many civic affairs. She was a longtime member of the Newsoms Town Council, former mayor and was one of the first women in Tidewater to be elected to a Board of Supervisor position. She served on the Southampton County Board for 24 years and four months. Mrs. Sykes was a member of the Board of Directors of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia, Southampton County Social Services and a former member of the Policy Council of the Southeastern Virginia Job Training Administration. Mrs. Sykes was a member of Newsoms United Methodist Church, its United Methodist Women and Boykins American Legion Post 276.

A funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday in the chapel of Wright Funeral Home, Franklin, Va., with the Rev. Dr. Gary Hartman, the Rev. Kenneth Williams and the Rev. Raymond Bunn officiating. Burial with Naval honors will be in Riverside Cemetery, Courtland, Va. The family will receive friends at the funeral home today from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and suggests that, in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to Newsoms United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 297, Newsoms, VA 23874, The Childrens Center, 600 Campbell Ave., Franklin, VA 23851, or the Boykins Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 347, Boykins, VA 23827.

To honor her memory hug someone, phone a loved one, help your community and remember to vote.

––– Vital Statistics –––

|------------------------------------------------|
| Name  | Charleton Wilhoit Sykes                |
| Age   | 83                                     |
| Birth | 7 May 1920; Albemarle County, Virginia |
| Death | 19 Apr 2004; Franklin, Virginia        |
|------------------------------------------------|

––– Table of Relationships –––

|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Name                              | Relationship         | Residence                    |
|-----------------------------------|----------------------|------------------------------|
| Charleton Wilhoit Sykes           | Decedent             | Southampton County, Virginia |
| Joseph Louis Sykes Jr.            | Husband, predeceased | Unknown                      |
| Clarence Ezekiel Wilhoit          | Father, predeceased  | Unknown                      |
| Nannie Belle Thorpe Fiers Wilhoit | Mother, predeceased  | Unknown                      |
| Nancy S. Strachan                 | Daughter             | Bedford, Virginia            |
| Les Strachan                      | Son-in-law           | Bedford, Virginia            |
| Beverly S. Briggs                 | Daughter             | Newsoms, Virginia            |
| Al Briggs                         | Son-in-law           | Newsoms, Virginia            |
| Amorette Turner                   | Sister               | Pamplico, South Carolina     |
| Mabel McNair                      | Sister               | Hartsville, South Carolina   |
| Caroline Morris                   | Sister               | Manteo, North Carolina       |
| Richmond Wilhoit                  | Brother              | Florence, South Carolina     |
| Louise Wilhoit                    | Sister, predeceased  | Unknown                      |
| Nannie Edwards                    | Sister, predeceased  | Unknown                      |
| Cecil Wilhoit                     | Brother, predeceased | Unknown                      |
| E.Q. Wilhoit                      | Brother, predeceased | Unknown                      |
| Monty R. Wilhoit                  | Brother, predeceased | Unknown                      |
| Clarence E. Wilhoit Jr.           | Brother, predeceased | Unknown                      |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

––– Publication Details –––

|---------------------------------|
| Field    | Value                |
|----------|----------------------|
| Location | Norfolk, VA          |
| Name     | Virginian-Pilot, The |
| Date     | 21 Apr 2004          |
| Edition  | FINAL                |
| Section  | LOCAL                |
| Page     | B9                   |
|---------------------------------|

––– Other Relevant Information –––

• U.S. Navy veteran of World War II
• Played professional softball for the South Carolina Baby Dolls
• Owner and operator of Newsoms Dry Cleaners
• Owner of Sears, Roebuck CSM Store in Boykins
• Owner of Sykes Furniture Store in Boykins and Newsoms
• Member of Newsoms Town Council
• Former mayor of Newsoms
• Member of Southampton County Board of Supervisors for 24 years
• Member of Hampton Roads Planning District Commission
• Member of Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia
• Member of Southampton County Social Services board
• Member of Southeastern Virginia Job Training Administration Policy Council
• Member of Newsoms United Methodist Church
• Member of United Methodist Women
• Member of American Legion Post 276
• Birth name was Charleton Wilhoit

		
[See also:
www.findagrave.com/memorial/295319405/charleton-sykes
www.findagrave.com/memorial/67452325/joseph-louis-sykes (spouse)
www.findagrave.com/cemetery/1390443/riverside-cemetery
]


[Contributed by Bruce Saunders, bs4403@verizon.net
Formattinng and references by the Southampton Transcription Project]

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