Obituary of Leo Sykes

Leo Sykes, 86, of Schenectady, died on Thursday, November 13, 2014 after a brief illness. Leo was born on February 8, 1928 in Erie, Pennsylvania, to the late Leo Sykes and Mabel Sykes. He moved with his family to Schenectady as a young boy. He attended St. Adalbert Catholic School, Pleasant Valley Junior High School and was a graduate of Mont Pleasant High School, where he lettered in football and basketball. Leo attended Fordham University, where he received his bachelor's degree in 1949. While at Fordham, he lettered in Basketball and Football, and played for esteemed coach Vince Lombardi. Upon graduation, Leo entered the Management Training Program with the W.T. Grant Company, where he spent 20 years in both the real estate and store management divisions, holding several positions in the Northeast. Leo served as the store manager for the Schenectady and Albany W.T. Grant stores and opened the retail chain's Willowbrook Plaza location in Scotia, which was a pre-cursor to the modern-day super size retail store. While at The W.T. Grant Co., Leo served as president of the Schenectady Downtown Merchants Association as well as president of Downtown Albany Unlimited. In the early 70s, Leo went on to open his own business, The Country Peddler, a Burnt Hills retail fixture for many years. Leo then embarked on a successful sales career with Masury-Columbia and Sofco, ultimately retiring in 2003 at age 75. Leo was an active member of the Northeastern NY chapter of the Fordham Alumni Club and was also a member of the Schenectady Ole Timers Baseball Club. He was a parishioner of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church for 54 years. Leo was a caring and devoted father, grandfather, uncle and brother. He enjoyed nothing more than spending time with his five children and eight grandchildren. He enjoyed hosting family parties and holiday dinners, where he always sat at the head of the table sharing stories and entertaining all with his keen sense of humor. Leo was a true sports enthusiast who was often seen at Schenectady High School basketball games and Sienna College basketball games. He was a loyal Giants, Knicks and Yankees fan, who eagerly anticipated football season and tailgating at Giants Stadium with friends and family. He was a regular guest at Giants summer pre-season training camp on the Albany State University Campus. Surviving are daughter, Meredith Van Druff of Olney, Maryland; daughter, Rosemary Sykes of New York, New York; son, John Sykes of New York, New York; daughter, Candy Sykes of Raleigh, North Carolina; daughter, Betsy Sykes of Raleigh, North Carolina; sister, Claire Mina of Cameron Park, California; eight grandchildren; one nephew; one niece; and several cousins. Leo is also survived by his partner of 40 years, Betty Dougherty; her daughter, Melissa Dougherty of Schenectady; son, Doug Dougherty of Arlington, Virginia; and Betty's two grandchildren. The family will receive relatives and friends from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, November 21, 2014 at Daly Funeral Home, 242 McClellan Street, Schenectady. A funeral mass will be held at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church at 9 a.m. on Saturday, November 22, 2014 with burial immediately following at Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery. The family wishes to thank the physicians and staff of NYU Langone Medical Center for the exemplary and compassionate care provided to Leo. Memorial contributions can be made to NYU Langone Medical Center, Office of Development, One Park Avenue, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10016