Judith Harman Carrigan Sykes

Judith Harman Carrigan Sykes, loving wife of 51 years; caring mother of three, grandmother of five, and sibling to three; constant friend; dedicated teacher; devoted churchgoer; accomplished athlete; and person of quick wit, indomitable spirit and personality died peacefully on December 9, 2014 after a courageous four year battle with the blood cancer, Multiple Myeloma. Judy was the daughter of the late Robert McClellan Carrigan and Pauline Bloch Carrigan. She grew up with her three siblings at the family home in Haverford, PA. In 1963 she married Henry Andrew Sykes. Their life together spanned fifty-two years: courting in Boston; living in Hopewell, VA; Dover, NH; Saugerties, NY; Woodstock, NY and New Haven, where Judy's life was graced by three wonderful sons. Judy was educated at the Agnes Irwin School in Bryn Mawr, PA, from Kindergarten through Senior year. She completed her Associate Degree in Childhood Education at Garland Junior [Simmons] College in Boston. Judy spent her entire professional life teaching and bettering the lives of young people. She taught at the Booth School in Rosemont, PA; the Fort Lee, VA Kindergarten; the St. Mary Academy in Dover, NH; the Lutheran Church Pre-school in Woodstock; NY, and the Children's Annex in Kingston, NY (for autistic children). Since moving to New Haven in 1988 and until her retirement in 2011, she taught special needs children at the Area Cooperative Educational Services (ACES). Also, as a member of the Junior League of Kingston, NY, Judy coordinated a program, Children's Enrichment, which taught young mothers parenting skills. As a member of the Church of the Redeemer in New Haven, Judy worked on several ministry teams, but most devotedly that for Children's Education. While Judy avidly pursued figure skating, field hockey, squash and lacrosse during her school years, her athletic interests focused on tennis during her married years. She held titles in Annisquam (MA) Yacht Club Mixed Doubles, and Ulster County (NY) Women's Doubles; was a finalist in Ulster County Mixed Doubles; and held numerous club titles in women's singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Retiring from tennis, Judy was an avid golfer and walker until the effects of Multiple Myeloma stopped her. Judy is survived by her husband, Henry; her sons, Andrew McClellan Sykes & his wife Jill of Holliston, MA, James Hanington Sykes & his wife Lorrie of West Haven, and Philip HX Giang of New York City; her siblings, Pauline Carrigan Charles & her husband Richard of Cornwall, PA, Joan Carrigan Forester & her husband David of Columbia, MD, and Robert McClellan Carrigan, Jr & his wife Ruth of Bloomfield Hills, MI; her five grandchildren: Jack Calhoun Sykes, Sarah Hanington Sykes, Thomas Whitney Sykes, Rebecca Lorraine Sykes-Quirk and Amanda Claire Sykes-Quirk; three nephews; three nieces; eight grand nephews and four grand nieces. A Memorial Service will be held at the Church of the Redeemer, 185 Cold Spring Street, New Haven, CT 06511 at 1:00 PM on Saturday, December 20th. Burial will be private. The family asks that gifts in memory of Judy and in lieu of flowers be mailed to Closer to Free, c/o Smilow Cancer Center at Yale-New Haven, PO Box 7611, New Haven, CT 06519-0611, or be donated online at www.giveclosertofree.org.