Ann Sickeler, 94, of Vero Beach, passed away peacefully on Jan. 5, 2015, at her Sea Oaks home surrounded by friends and family.
She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Claudia and Rex Patton of Atlanta, Ga.; her nieces Chris Adams Johnson (Al Johnson) of Vero Beach and Andrea Sickeler Kadas (Jeff) of Allentown, Penn.; her goddaughter Linda Graf Bichsel (Dr. Pierre Bichsel) of Vero Beach; great-nephew Wesley Adams; great-niece Courtney Adams Maslak (Andrew Maslak) and their son Joshua Clark.
Her husband, Clinton L. Sickeler, died in 1952. Her brother and sister-in-law, Clark and Janet Daugherty of Vero Beach, preceded her in death.
Sickeler was born in Wilkinsburg, Penn., and lived in the Pittsburgh area for most of her life. After becoming a seasonal resident in 1997, she became a full time Floridian in 2011. A graduate of Westminster College, she loved her 20-year career as an Executive Assistant at U.S Steel Headquarters prior to her retirement in 1983.
In addition to being a member and deacon of the Mulberry United Presbyterian Church, she was both an active member and officer of the Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority, PEO (Philanthropic Educational Organization) and the Blackridge Garden Club. She was also a board member of The United Presbyterian Home for the Aged, and a volunteer for The Salvation Army.
Sickeler never missed an opportunity to socialize with her friends and family or her daily walking ritual in her beloved Blackridge neighborhood. A neighbor once calculated that over the years, she and her friends walked the equivalent of the distance of Pittsburgh to Brazil and back!
She loved to travel the world, but in later years was content to gaze at her beautiful garden and after relocating to Florida, her ocean backyard.
The family wishes to express their deepest gratitude for the kindness of Ann’s caregivers over the past years. Ann was a beautiful woman, a loyal friend and a loving mother whose positive attitude and joyful spirit will live in all of us forever.
Memorial contributions may be made in Ann’s name to VNA/Hospice Foundation, 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, Florida 32960. www.vnatc.com (772) 567-5551. Services will be in Pittsburgh at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of Strunk Funeral Home and Crematory, Vero Beach. A guest book is available at www.strunkfuneralhome.com.