Douglas Mickle Sykes

Douglas Mickle Sykes went peacefully to our Lord on April 25, 2021 at the VA Medical Center Hospice, in West Palm Beach, Florida. Douglas was born at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Palm Beach, on July 26, 1934 to the late Harvey and Mildred Sykes. He is preceded in death by his only sibling, brother Harvey Eugene Sykes Jr. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Joan, and his four children, twin sons Douglas and Derek (Denise), son Declan and daughter Deirdre (Fred). He is Grandad to Kyle (Sally), Connor, Sean and Sarah.

Douglas attended Palm Beach High, class of “Through in ‘52”. He went on to graduate from the Georgia Military Academy and enlisted in The United States Air Force. After completing basic training in Lackland Texas, he was stationed at a military base in Chicago, Illinois and was an air traffic controller, making Airman of the Month. He later transferred to Edinburgh, Scotland as Military Police, a position he loved. He was also a member of the United States Air Force Honor Guard. While on leave in Dublin, Ireland he met a red headed Irish lass who would follow him back to the states and become his wife. Shortly thereafter, he went back to school and earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University and was a member of the DeMolay Fraternity. After graduating, he returned home to take over the daily cattle operations at Sykes Angus Ranch, after his father fell ill. Later re-named Sykes and Sons Angus Ranch, locals will recall the many acres of beautiful white fences, green grass, and black cows grazing at Okeechobee Boulevard and the Florida Turnpike. As his children were growing up, he was involved in activities with them such as showing their prized bulls at the South Florida Fairgrounds, attending the YMCA Indian Guides, and was also the Gold Coast Livestock 4H leader in Palm Beach County. The ranch was eventually sold and he moved his family west to Loxahatchee, Florida and started Sykes Agricultural Services and worked for the USDA. He loved spending summers in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Asheville, North Carolina at the family home on Elk Mountain. Attending the Sykes family reunions in Island Grove, Florida was always a highlight of his year. He resided in Loxahatchee with his wife for the last 40 years, enjoying the rural lifestyle, with his morning coffee and newspaper, and tending to his remaining black angus cattle. Douglas was a long-time member of First Baptist Church of West Palm Beach, and currently a member of the Royal Poinciana Chapel in Palm Beach. He will be remembered by his family and friends as a humble man, of great faith and dry wit, who loved his family and the simple life.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Quattlebaum Funeral Home, 5411 Okeechobee Blvd. West Palm Beach. Visitation will be held at that location from 5-7pm Sunday May 2nd. A funeral service will be held the following day on Monday May 3rd at 10:30 am at the Royal Poinciana Chapel, 60 Coconut Row, Palm Beach, Florida. A graveside service will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Park 6411 Parker Ave. West Palm Beach, Florida.