Edward Paul Sykes

March 22, 1938 – June 13, 2022

Edward Paul Sykes, 84 passed away peacefully in his sleep on June 13, 2022. He gave his life to Christ at a young age and lived the rest of his days pursuing a relationship with his Savior, Jesus Christ. He lived his life with full assurance that he was a child of God.

Ed was born in Duluth, MN on March 22, 1938, to John James and Edith Marie Sykes. His father died when he was just 13 years old, and in 1952 at age 14, Ed spent the summer working on Bill and Ruth Ophus’ farm in Fosston Minnesota, where he met Carol who was just 12 years old at the time, residing on Stanley and Myrtle Ophus’ farm next door. AT 15 years of age, in order to help support his family, Ed started a logging business with his friend, David Pertilla.

Ed and David successfully ran the logging business until 1956 when Ed decided to join the US Navy at age 18. After two years of air flight training, he became a 3rd Airman on the A3D Navy Aircraft. During this time, he began writing to Carol and it wasn’t long before he declared his love for her. In the summer of 1958 Ed took leave from his duty station in Florida and hitchhiked all the way back to Fosston, surprising Carol with a ring and a proposal of marriage. Carol had just turned 18 and had graduated high school. She said yes, of course, and in March of 1959, they were married. Shortly thereafter, Ed went to Sanford Florida where he boarded the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal and flew in the VAH-1 A3D squadron. Carol followed later that summer, taking the drive to Florida along with Tommy, Ed’s youngest brother.

In 1962, after six years of service, Ed was honorably discharged. So, he and Carol returned home to Fosston to try their hand at farming. After three years of various disasters that destroyed crops, killed their cattle, and their bank account balance, Ed decided the farming life was not for him. This left a young father of three with a very serious and urgent dilemma; How was he to provide for his growing family of now three children, Perian, Paulette and Tracey?

At some point, Ed came up with the idea to make and sell oil filters made from toilet paper rolls. And sell he did! In fact, when his brother-in-law, Dick Carlson, encouraged him to apply for a job selling insurance in Duluth, he got an interview. During that interview, he sold the guy a toilet paper oil filter! They were so impressed with his ability to sell, they hired him on the spot! And so, Ed transitioned from TP Filter Salesman, to Life Insurance Salesman. Not long after, he was offered a job with Mutual of Omaha, and in 1965 they moved to Hibbing, MN.

Due to his great success in sales, his employer decided they wanted him to teach classes in salesmanship. So, they packed up the family once again, which now included Priscilla, and in 1967, moved to Omaha, Nebraska to work at the home office. A couple years later, he was transferred to the Pacific Northwest, and in the spring of 1969 the family, which now included Patrice, packed up once more and moved across the country. They purchased a home for $25,000, and settled down – this time, for good - in Redmond Washington.

Ed began to dream about starting his own insurance agency. And eventually, he did just that. Ed and Carol together ran the Ed Sykes Insurance Agency successfully for twenty years until they sold it and he was able to retire. Well, we all know Ed didn’t really retire. After his “retirement” Ed, along with his son Tracey, started a company developing and selling insurance estimating software, which they later sold. After that, Ed started a Warranty Insurance Sales company, which was back in the day before extended warranty’s existed. It was wildly successful.

During the early years, of owning, running and growing his insurance agency, he always had time for the things that were most important; his church, and his family. For several years, he taught evangelism classes at Seattle Bible Training School, he volunteered as the "activities director" at Sand Hill Lake Bible Camp, he coached his son's little league baseball team, and he and Carol purchased a cabin on the Snoqualmie River where the family would go to enjoy weekends and holidays together.

In his retirement years, Ed spent much of his time loving and serving his family and friends; helping his kids with various house projects, babysitting his grandchildren whenever there was need, spending time in his wood shop making Christmas gifts, or birthday gifts, or most recently, whirly-gigs for everyone! He loved watching his grandkids compete in any sport they took interest in or watching them perform on their instruments or sing in the choir. He loved taking road trips with his kids and grandkids, vacationing in Mexico with family and friends, and hunting and fishing in Alaska.

Ed will be remembered for his faith in Jesus, his love for his wife, his five children, fifteen grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. He was a great husband, a great father and grandfather, and a great friend to everyone. Ed always said, “I know no strangers, only friends I haven’t met yet.” And that was true of him. He was kind and generous with his time and his resources. He never passed up an opportunity to take you to lunch. He had a great sense of humor and loved to tell a good Sven and Ole joke. He will be sorely missed.

Ed is survived by his wife of 63 years Carol Sykes, Perian (husband Gary) Kersten, Paulette (husband Conrad) Hoffman, Tracey (wife Brenda) Sykes, Priscilla (husband Douglas) Graham, and Patrice Stockton, fifteen grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren, Sister, Ellen Carlson and Brother, Tommy Sykes.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.strate-funeral.com for the Sykes family.