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Honoring Rev. H. Gene Sykes
West 20th Street between Broadway and Avenue C is now Rev. H. Gene Sykes Way
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The name street sign at the intersection of Avenue C and H. Gene Sykes Way (formerly West 20th Street between Broadway and Avenue C). Photos by Daniel Israel.
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The name street sign at the intersection of Avenue C and H. Gene Sykes Way (formerly West 20th Street between Broadway and Avenue C). Photos by Daniel Israel.
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On Easter Sunday, Bayonne honored and celebrated the life of a local faith leader who died last year from COVID-19.
On April 4, a portion of West 20th Street between Broadway and Avenue C was dedicated as Rev. H. Gene Sykes Way. Friendship Baptist Church, where Sykes was the pastor, is located there.
Bayonne street renamed after beloved pastor, local activist
Updated Apr 04, 2021;
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BAYONNE Tears, praise and joyful hymns filled Friendship Baptist Church on Sunday.
On Easter Sunday, members of Friendship Baptist Church celebrated not only the life and resurrection of Jesus, but also the life of Rev. H. Gene Sykes and his wife, Frannie. The city also unveiled Rev. Gene Sykes Way as the new street name of where the church sits.
The street naming was a “small token” of appreciation for what the reverend had done for the community, Mayor Jimmy Davis said.
“He was the greatest man I ever knew,” his daughter Lynne Sykes told The Jersey Journal. “He loves this community. He always tried improving the lives of the community. He loved everyone. He prayed for everyone.”
By AL SULLIVAN
Credits: Courtesy of City of Bayonne
By AL SULLIVAN
January 16, 2021 at 3:14 PM
BAYONNE, NJ - The City of Bayonne will rename a portion of West Street, between Avenue C and Broadway, in honor of the late Rev. H. Gene Sykes, who served as pastor of the Friend Baptist Church for more than 25 years.
Rev. Sykes, whose career was defined by a strong belief that all people should have a roof over their head and a full stomach, died due to complications of COVID-19 in April.
“We wanted to do something sooner, but with COVID, this got delayed,” said Council President Sharon Ashe-Nadrowski. “But we didn’t want to wait any long and have people forget about him. He was very important in our community.”
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 ×
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.