William Martin Sykes Jr.

William “Bill” Martin Sykes, Jr. passed away peacefully on, April 23, 2023 at Golden Rose Assisted Living in Marietta, Georgia at the age of 93. Bill was born in Wilmington, North Carolina on August 11th, 1929. He was the second child of William Martin Sykes, Sr. and his wife Hildred. His father worked for the Atlantic Coastline Railroad as a Passenger Agent which allowed Bill and his family to travel along the eastern seaboard, living in cities such as New York, New York, Washington, D.C., and Daytona Beach, Florida. He graduated from St. Andrews High School in Charleston, South Carolina lettering in basketball, baseball, and football. After high school he worked for Texaco before serving two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He then went back to work for Texaco and attended Georgia State University earning a bachelor’s degree in Business. Later, he worked for twenty years as a pharmaceutical representative for Riker Laboratories, a division of 3M Pharmaceuticals. In 1984, he went on to work for the Cobb County Superior Court as the court clerk for Judge Robert E. Flournoy Jr. till his retirement in 2000. In 1962 he met and married the love of his life, Zelda Hightower. They were married for 61 years and were members of Eastside Baptist Church. His life was characterized by his deep love for the Lord, his wife, family, and anyone he got to know. He had a quick wit and enjoyed telling stories from his past. For many years he managed a weekly Monday night basketball league that allowed him to foster others in basketball, playing competitively well into his 60’s. He was preceded in death by his parents, William Sykes Sr. and Hildred (Sykes) Dawson, his sister Sara Bradford, his grandmother Lelia Royal, his daughter Dane Mechelle Sykes, and grandson Graham Thomas Sykes. He is survived by his wife Zelda Hightower Sykes, son Randall (Theresa) Sykes, daughter Teresa Sykes, and son Russell (Krista) Sykes. Grandchildren Will, Wesley, Lindsey, Brenton, Reagan, and Kylee. A private service for family members will be held at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, Georgia. There will be a Celebration of Life to be held at Eastside Baptist Church in the Fellowship Hall on June 10, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. Special thanks to Diana Reavis at Golden Rose. In lieu of flowers please feel free to make a donation in Bill’s honor to Eastside Baptist Church at 2450 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta, Georgia 30068 or online at: https://followeastside.com/home/giving/