Richard "Rick" Williams Sikes

Richard "Rick" Williams Sikes passed away on October 18, 2024, in Avon Indiana. Rick was in a hurry to get life started by arriving weeks early on Mother's Day Sunday May 12, 1951. Weighing in just under 5 lbs. 

Rick attended Speedway High School and while attending Speedway High he worked multiple part time jobs. He graduated from Speedway High in 1970. 

After graduation he joined the United States Air Force and served from 1970 - 1974. Two of those years he was stationed in Thailand which he enjoyed immensely. During his time in the Air Force, he attained the rank of Sergeant. 

After his return to civilian life, he went to work for Cryogenic and Associates. At this time, he returned to one of his favorite hobbies, bowling, which he had enjoyed since his childhood until 2023. During the next few years, he developed an interest in scuba diving. He trained and got his Master Diver license. One of his favorite areas to dive was the Cayman Islands particularly Cayman Brac. He loved taking underwater photos. During this time, he also developed an interest in spelunking. He and several friends explored many of the local caves in Indiana. 

Another of Rick's favorite interests was anything to do with Science Fiction. He would always ask new acquaintances if they were into Science Fiction. During the 1980's he and his friend Dennis were among the founding members of a new local science fiction club called the Circle of Janus which started holding an annual conference called INCONJUNCTION which still meets every July to this day.  

In the spring of 1981 Rick met the love of his life Laura Sue Gleason. They wed on August 19, 1983. Laura preceded Rick in death in June 2022. During their marriage they adopted a little girl, Heather Dawn Sikes. She currently resides in Indianapolis. 

Starting in September of 1986, Rick suffered the first two of several strokes. Years of ill health followed. Finally, he was unable to overcome the seventh stroke and passed away on Friday Oct 18th, 2024. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, Juanita and Travis, as well as his wife Laura. He is survived by his daughter Heather, his sister Gail Sikes, and several out of state cousins.