Christine "Chris" Sykes, 69, of Murray, UT passed away in the company of her husband, Dennis L Sykes, on September 21, 2023, after a courageous 2-year battle with cancer.

Chris was born in Utah to Marvin and JoAnne Nelson in 1954. She attended Murray High School and then attended Utah State University where she met Dennis at a school dance. Through a mutual sense of adventure and a shared faith they fell in love and were married in the Logan Temple in 1975. Because of Chris’ radiant smile and her beaming personality, he nicknamed her “Sunshine”.

In 1976 they moved to Alaska where they raised their two children Ken and Tammy. She instilled her love of the outdoors in them through activities like camping, river rafting and salmon fishing. She frequently hosted family and friends from other parts of the country to come and enjoy the rich abundance of Alaskan outdoor activities.

Chris was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She volunteered her time and gifts to organizations such as Cub Scouts, youth groups, and church programs. She taught early-morning Seminary for seven years. The youth loved her for the fun, compassion and faith she shared with them. This was such an important calling to her that she stayed in Alaska for a year after Dennis moved to Washington DC for work, to keep her promise that she would not quit on them mid-year. In April 2003 the mayor of Anchorage presented her with the “Create Award --- for Education and Teaching Excellence and Creating a Brighter Future”.

After 26 years in Alaska, Chris moved to Virginia to rejoin Dennis in 2004. She continued her acts of service and charity through her active contributions to the Church. She opened her home to family and friends to visit and partake in the rich history that could be found in the capital of our country.

In 2012 Chris returned to Utah to help care for family members through significant extended illnesses. Family was always paramount for Chris. She spent many years researching and cataloging genealogy and family history. With her return to Utah, she was actively involved in the birth and care of her grandchildren. This was one of her greatest joys in life.

Chris was a gifted artist, and intrinsically took to crafts and creating things. She expressed these talents through sewing, pottery, stained glass, playing the harp, Ukrainian egg dying, and other hobbies. In recent years she focused on watercolor painting where she won ribbons in the Utah State Fair. She was selfless with her talents and was constantly gifting her works to others for their enjoyment. She passed her love of making things to her grandchildren with activities like tie-dye clothing and always creating fun projects.

After graduating with honor from her turn on Earth, Chris has returned back home to be with family who have passed before her. She is survived by her husband of 48 years Dennis, and her children Ken (Ginger) Sykes, Tammy (Jason) Blake and 5 grandchildren. She will be sorely missed by her mother JoAnne, and siblings: Blair (Linda) Nelson, Jared (Karen) Nelson, Eric (Susan) Nelson and Andrea (Brian) Perschon. Her legacy of creativity and compassion lives on with her family, children, and grandchildren.

We invite you to attend a "Life Celebration" in her honor on Friday October 20 2023 6:00 PM (MST), in the LDS Chapel at 4881 Cindy Ln, South Jordan, UT. Or, to participate virtually in a live Zoom session, a few minutes before it starts go to: https://deseretdigital.zoom.u…

If you have trouble connecting to Zoom with the above link, then go here: https://docs.google.com/docum…

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