Wrangell Sentinel -

Meredith Sykes, 79, passed away on May 12, 2019 in Washington State.

She was a small-town girl from Fargo, North Dakota, who traveled the world, with adventures in Asia, Europe, and Africa. She braved the wilds (and not-so-wilds) of Alaska for 32 years before moving to Gig Harbor, Washington in 1993.

She and her family lived in Wrangell from about 1961 to 1972 and her children were born in Wrangell.

She was an excellent cook and baker and instilled that passion and talent in all three of her daughters. She belonged to gourmet groups in Anchorage and Gig Harbor and considered those women her lifelong friends.

She loved playing cards and was a devoted member of her local bridge group. She played games and puzzles and was a fan of the Sunday NYT crossword. She adored language, literature and her book clubs. Her kindness and desire to help people learn made her a natural choice as a substitute teacher in our elementary school classrooms. In both Anchorage and Gig Harbor she taught English as a Second Language (ESL) to immigrant adults.

After getting her three girls off to college, she went back herself to finish her degree at the University of Alaska, Anchorage.

She was preceded in death by her husband Richard Sykes, Jr.

She leaves behind her daughters Stephanie Sykes, Suzy Tangen and her husband Kit, Wendy Sykes and her husband John Schussler, extended family, more friends than we can count, and the love of her life, her granddaughter, Georgia Meredith Sykes.