Hudson Reporter
Bayonne to rename street after the late Rev. H. Gene Sykes
Sykes was the pastor at Friendship Baptist Church on West 20th Street
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Rev. H. Gene Sykes. Photo by Alyssa Bredin Quiros.
Bayonne has moved to rename a street after the late Rev. H. Gene Sykes of Friendship Baptist Church. In April of 2020, Sykes passed away from COVID-19. He was 78.
Sykes’s death was one of the many tragic losses from COVID-19. He was the eleventh resident to die from the virus.
A long-lasting legacy
Before becoming a clergyman, Sykes was an engineer and a flight crew trainer for the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War. After the war, he continued engineer work for private companies before becoming a faith leader.