William I. 'Sonny' Sykes, Jr.

William I. Sykes, Jr., known as Sonny Sykes, of Gainesville, passed away Saturday, July 10, 2021. He was born in West Palm Beach, FL to the late William I. Sykes, Sr., and Mary King Sykes.  He was placed in an orphanage in Washington, Georgia, then Villa Madonna Convent in Tampa, FL.

At age eleven, his Aunt and Uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Sparks brought him to Gainesville, GA. Sonny attended Candler Street Elementary. He was an Eagle Scout lacking one merit badge from being awarded the third palm.  Sonny’s grandfather, his father and both his sons, Marty and Rodney were also Eagle Scouts. He graduated from Gainesville High School in 1955.  He served his country in the United States Navy, then attended and graduated from Clemson College in 1963 with a degree in industrial management.

After ten years in industry as cost accounting manager for Gainesville Mill and New Holland Mill, he started the first employment agency in Gainesville named Gainesville Employment Services, Inc. and then Gainesville Financial Services, Inc. Mr. Sykes graduated from Woodrow Wilson College of Law receiving a Juris Doctor degree and opening his office to practice law in 1974.

Mr. Sykes raised three children, William Martin, Rodney Emerson, and Jennifer Lynn Sykes, all college educated. He then married the love of his life, Nancy Schuller Sykes who then gave birth to Macy Lauren Sykes in 1991.  Macy is also college educated having attended the University of Alabama.

Sonny loved Gainesville and was active in the Rotary Club, Chattahoochee Country Club, and Elks Club.  He was chairman of the Tom Paris Golf Tournament for ten years. He was an avid golfer, having won golf tournaments throughout the state of Georgia as well as the Chattahoochee Country Club Championship in 1992, and the Cakebox Tournament in Gainesville. Mr. Sykes was a certified scuba diver, and excellent snow skier. He and Nancy enjoyed skiing in Switzerland, Austria, Vail, Colorado, Aspen, Colorado, Utah and Vermont.

Mr. Sykes loved his profession. He practiced in Hall County and through-out the Gwinnett, Atlanta and North Georgia area. At ten years of age he first announced that he wanted to be a lawyer.  His ambition finally accomplished when he was sworn in in 1974.  During his tenure as an attorney and trial lawyer, he handled numerous domestic cases, and while defending clients who could not afford an attorney he won 12 murder cases.  Sonny took young lawyers right out of law school into his office giving them a place to set up their office rent free and taught them how to practice law.  These attorneys, who became dear friends are now practicing law in Gainesville and all are very successful.

Over many years, Mr. Sykes expressed his love for his profession and sincere appreciation for the people who worked in the various courthouses from judges to janitors by hand-delivering to each of them a hand-written Christmas card each year.

Sonny was a thinker and loved to pen his thoughts into writings, many which he sent and were published in The Gainesville Times. His first love was the Lord Jesus Christ. He avidly studied and spent his quiet time in as he would proudly tell you, “God’s infallible Word”.  Sonny was awed to bow in God’s presence and humbly talked about wanting to stay at the foot of the cross.

He was honored to serve each year in the Hall County Schools Honors Mentorship program as mentor to some of the best and brightest students aspiring to become an attorney in the legal system.

Sonny was an avid pilot and owned three airplanes over the years that he loved to fly with his wife and baby daughter Macy to Saint Simons Island.  He greatly enjoyed riding his Harley Davison motorcycle and owned different ones throughout the years.

Mr. Sykes is survived by his loving wife and best friend of 33 years, Nancy Schuller Sykes, son Marty Sykes, son Rodney Sykes, daughter Jennifer Sykes, daughter Macy Sykes Carswell, son-in-law Rand Carswell, and one grandson Cameron Sykes, half-sister, Susan Sykes Turner, and many special friends that he considered family.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 13, 2021 at Free Chapel Worship Center. Rev. Jentezen Franklin will officiate. The family will receive friends at Free Chapel on Tuesday from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.

Wesley Warriors Foundation through the North Georgia Community Foundation https://www.ngcf.org/wesleywarriors/

Memorial Park Funeral Home, 2030 Memorial Park Road, Gainesville, GA  30504 is in charge of arrangements.

Send online condolences to www.memorialparkfuneralhomes.com