Sydney Ervin Eickenroht

Rose Sydney Crates was born on January 21, 1937, to Newell Francis Crates and Geneva Byers Crates in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Eighty-nine years later, on January 26, 2026, in Houston, Texas, she departed, having been diagnosed with ovarian cancer in late November 2025.

Sydney’s was a life well-lived. An only child, she proved at an early age to be unusually adept at developing deep-rooted, long-lasting friendships – a hallmark of her life. She matriculated from her beloved St. Catherine’s School for girls in Richmond, Virginia, where she was a boarding student from age eight until graduation, and from Connecticut College for Women in New London. After marrying her first husband and giving birth to their four children, the family moved to Houston, her home since 1967.

Sydney was known for her zest for life, her generosity of mind and spirit, her wonderful sense of humor, her love of purchase, and her infectious laugh. Long affiliated with the Junior League of Houston, she performed in their Children’s Theater and Puppetry for many years. Her children vividly remember practicing her lines in the kitchen and her magnificent rendition of Piglet. Her most enduring role was as a co-founding member and a leader of its Singing Sustainers group, which developed and performed interactive musical programs for local senior groups for over 45 years. Classically trained as a pianist, she loved nothing more than singing to seniors in nursing homes and seeing their faces light up, something she did until two months before her death. In 2009, she was honored by the Buckingham senior living community with the Buckingham Salute to Seniors Award.

She was an avid game-player, especially tennis and bridge, often playing several times a week. Adept with her hands, she sewed clothes and costumes when her children were young, but her greatest talent was needlepoint. She created hundreds of holiday-themed and other needleworks with remarkable speed and exceptional craftsmanship. She was particularly fond of making nativities and Christmas-themed pieces, several of which were donated to her church.

Most important to her were her faith, her family, and her friends. She was a loving mother to her four children, instilling in them her love of games, cards, and any activity where people gather to play. She drove them hither and yon to school, swim team, baseball, soccer, tennis, piano lessons, ballet practice, and voice lessons, making lifetime friendships along the way, and only occasionally exclaiming a frustrated “Jimminy Christmas!” – a major feat for a mother of four children born within five years of each other. She became a mother to her two stepchildren, whom she loved dearly, later in life when she married Marvin B. Eickenroht, to whom she was happily married for forty years. She guided all six of her children through college and major life events and decisions for the remainder of her life. She ensured her grandchildren developed a love of games, especially Yahtzee, and was not above engaging in the occasional playful trash talk.

Sydney was a deeply devout and faithful Catholic. She was a member of St. Cecilia’s Catholic Church, where she also volunteered, for more than 50 years.

She is survived by her children, James Miller, Kathy Miller-Fujimoto (Laurence Fujimoto), Trish McAllister (Kris Sloan), Pam Miller; her stepchildren, Robert Eickenroht (Carrie) and Molly Foster (Keith); and her grandchildren, Christina Eickenroht, John Matthew Foster, Hannah Foster, Hobbs McAllister, Leo Jensen, and Sixten Jensen.

A memorial service will be held at St. Cecilia's Catholic Church, 11720 Joan of Arc Drive, Houston, Texas 77024 on February 16, 2026, at 10:30 am.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Singing Sustainers of the Junior League of Houston via the JLH League Legends Annual Fund, designating the gift in memory of Sydney Eickenroht, and writing “to benefit the Singing Sustainers” in the Occasion text box. A check can also be mailed to the Junior League of Houston Development Office, 1811 Briar Oaks Lane, Houston, Texas 77027, with “for Singing Sustainers in memory of Sydney Eickenroht” in the memo field.