Heaven is happier today with the addition of William Ronald “Ron” Sikes. As we are broken-hearted that he is no longer with us, we know that he is with the Lord, surrounded by those who have gone to Heaven before him. His family announces the passing of a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and faithful servant of God.
After a long life marked by quiet strength and unwavering honesty and humility, he went home to be with the Lord, surrounded by the love of his family. William Ronald “Ron” Sikes went to Heaven on Thursday evening May 28th, 2026, due to complications from a lengthy hospital stay.
There will be a visitation on Monday June 1, 2026, from 5-7 P.M. at the Rose Neath Funeral Home (2500 Southside Dr Shreveport, LA 71118). On the following day, Tuesday, the funeral will take place at 10 A.M. again at Rose Neath Southside. The burial will take place at the State Line cemetery (1684 AR-160 Taylor, AR 71861) after the funeral ceremony. There will not be a funeral procession. The family will be following the hearse as best as possible, feel free to follow or enter address on maps.
He was born November 15, 1946, in Springhill, Louisiana to William Emerson Sikes and Esther Umphery Sikes. He is also preceded in death by his two younger brothers Paul David and Tony. Ron graduated from Springhill High School in 1962 and until his dying day was a proud Lumberjack.
He graduated from Louisiana Tech in Engineering and went to work for General Electric where he worked for thirty years and retired as Manager of Shop Operations, working with people in almost every area of the plant over the many years. He loved the people he worked with and enjoyed the gatherings of retirees and recalling “old times” when sometimes he was the “good guy” and sometimes he wasn’t. He was married to his first wife Freda White Sikes (deceased 1998) for 35 years and they had two children Gregory Wayne Sikes and Shelli Lynn Sikes.
In 1999, Ron married Helen Bell Mason Sikes who had one daughter Anna Mason and together they had William Reed Sikes. Ron retired from GE when Reed was six weeks old and made a career change—building. First, he built the Masonic Lodge on Bert Kouns for the Sunset Lodge for which he has been Secretary of Chapter No. 438 F & AM for the past 28 years. He built the lodge in exchange for the land in back where he then built Newcastle Self Storage, a self-rental storage facility with indoor and outdoor storage areas that the family continues to own. The next project was an office for Sikes Accounting which he helped Helen begin inside Newcastle Storage and he later built a separate office building on Mansfield Road where it stands today.
Ron lived his days the way he lived his faith — steady, gentle, and without fanfare. He never sought attention, yet he left a lasting mark on everyone who crossed his path. His hands were often busy helping others. He believed in showing love through action, not words, and he did so faithfully. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Keithville, La.
A devoted Christian, he carried Scripture in his heart and kindness in his voice. His prayers were soft but powerful, and his trust in God never wavered, even in difficult seasons. He taught his family what it meant to walk humbly, forgive freely, and give thanks in all things. To his children and grandchildren, he was a storyteller, a steady presence, and a source of endless advice and help. He had a way of making each child feel seen and cherished. His laughter was gentle, his wisdom straightforward, simple and true, and his love unconditional.
Though our hearts ache, we rejoice knowing he has entered eternal rest, greeted by the Savior he followed so faithfully. His legacy lives on in the lives he shaped, the faith he modeled, and the love he poured out so generously to his family and friends.
He is survived by his wife Helen B. Sikes, son Greg Sikes and wife Mia, daughter Shelli Ligon and husband Lonnie, son Reed Sikes and wife Andi. His grandchildren include Greg’s children: Samantha Sikes and Tommy Sikes with wife Holly and great-grandchildren Aurora, Ivey Jane, and Stella. Mia’s children include grandchildren Madeline Wilson and Mitch Wilson with wife Mallory and great-grandson Walker. Shelli’s children include grandchild Kyle Briggs with wife Kelsi and grandchild Katie Miller with husband Bailey expecting great grandchild Audrie James Miller. He is also survived by a host of nieces and nephews.
Honoring him as pallbearers are Tommy Sikes, Kyle Briggs, Bailey Miller, Peyton Long, Cody Norris and Anthony Stallcup. Honorary pallbearers will be the members of Sunset Masonic Lodge #438 F & AM.
The family would like to express a special thank you to the ICU teams of Drs. & Staff at Willis Knighton North (Leigh Ann, Sophia & Dr. Barrett) and Willis Knighton South (Sir Philip & Christine & Dr. Morrison) for their outstanding care and compassion towards our husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Especially Dr. M. Akbarian-Tefaghi, MD FACP for his attention to detail and instructional explanations. You truly are a blessing and made this process much more comforting for our entire family. We are sincerely and truly grateful.
We will miss him dearly, but we celebrate a life well-lived — a life that reflected Christ in the quietest, most beautiful ways.
