Ronald Earl Sykes

Ronald E. Sykes, 95, passed away on Monday, August 19, 2024, at Barclay Friends in West Chester, PA. 

He was the beloved husband of Karen D. Sykes and the son of the late Dr. Earl and Verline Sykes of West Chester, PA. 

In addition to his wife Karen, Ronald is survived by his sons, Wayne David Sykes and Brian Sykes; son-in-law, Eric Burkhardt; grandsons, Christopher Sykes and Kevin Sykes; brother, Hollister Sykes and many nieces and nephews.

Ronald was preceded in death by his daughter, Anne Burkhardt and his first wife, Elizabeth M. Sykes.

Ronald, better known as Ron, graduated from West Chester High School in 1948.  He was active in the Boy Scouts and served as Handicraft Director at Camp Horseshoe for five summers, eventually becoming an Eagle Scout and a member of the Order of the Arrow.  Ron earned his B.S. in Art Education at Kutztown University, M.Ed. in Art Education at Temple University and Tyler School of Fine Arts, and Ed.D. in Art Education at the Pennsylvania State University.  After teaching in Upper Darby for four years, Ron joined the Millersville faculty in 1956. 

Ron taught at Millersville University in Millersville, PA, for forty-two years, where he served as Department Chairman and oversaw the expansion of the Art Department faculty from two to fourteen full-time staff, providing a wider offering of art instruction to Millersville students.  He was instrumental in designing and advancing art degrees in B.A. in Art, B.S. in Art Education and M.Ed. in Art Education. Ron designed the four-story Art and Design Building, dedicated in 1973.  He taught a variety of subjects that included figure sculpture, portrait painting and photography.  Ron also taught figure sculpture and portrait painting at the Lancaster County Art Association for over thirty-five years and was a member of the Echo Valley Art Group.

Ron sculpted and painted over one-hundred and fifty works of art in bronze portrait sculpture and oil portraits on permanent public display in the Lancaster area.  Examples of which are the bronze portrait bust of Robert Fulton on display in the Fulton Bank in downtown Lancaster and the full-figure of Hot Dog Frank located on the Lebanon Valley College campus.

After Ron and Karen married in West Chester in 1999, they moved into the stone house on Sharpless Street that his parents built and where Ron and his siblings grew up, and was the site of many family dinners and get-togethers throughout the years.  The couple moved to Jenner’s Pond in West Grove in 2022, but returned to West Chester due to Ron’s health needs. 

Relatives and friends are invited to his visitation on Saturday, September 21, 2024 from 1:00 pm - 2:45 pm at DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, Inc. 410 North Church Street West Chester, PA 19380 followed by his Memorial Service at 3:00 pm.

Interment will be private. 

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Ronald E. Sykes Artist-Teacher Award, Millersville University Development Office, PO Box 1002, Millersville, PA 17551; giving@millersville.edu, 717-871-7520. Checks should be made out to the Millersville University Foundation for the Ronald E. Sykes Artist-Teacher Award.  If donating online, please select the Ronald E. Sykes Artist-Teacher Award in the drop down for “Direct my Support to”.

Arrangements by DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, Inc. of West Chester, PA 610-696-1181; www.DellaFH.com