VANDYKE, Sidney
Sidney Franklin VanDyke was born March 19, 1936 in Plainville, Georgia to Henry Grady and Ruth McEntyre VanDyke, joining a brother, Donald. At the age of sixteen, he went to work in a wholesale florist and greenhouse and discovered a lifelong love of flowers and growing plants, eventually opening and operating his own successful wholesale floral business, VanDyke Wholesale Florist in 1972. His customers were also known as friends and he never saw a flower he didn’t love. He continued working with fresh flowers and plants until a few weeks before his death. He had a love of car shows, hot rods and old cars, rebuilding several over the years, and he could occasionally be spotted driving his vintage red pickup truck around town. He was a devoted Braves, Falcons and Georgia Tech fan. Animals were drawn to him and he loved his cats and dogs, mostly rescues or strays who found their way to him.
Most of all, Sid loved his beautiful sweetheart, Pearlye with all his heart and loved his family, always putting them first and working hard to give them a good life. He first met Pearlye Gilmore as a teenager when his brother, Donald, married her sister, Faye in 1952. Sid and Pearlye were united in marriage on June 27, 1958 and were rarely apart until the day she went to Heaven in March of 2021. They raised three children together; Angie, Debra, and Ronnie. They were deeply involved in their kids’ lives, supporting and encouraging them in all they did, always present at football games, band concerts and school functions, chauffeuring them back and forth to piano and guitar lessons, volunteering for Vacation Bible Schools. Sometimes Sid would drive the church bus and he was a deacon in his church for many years. Sid and Pearlye became “Grandaddy” and “Nana” to their first grandson, Justin Childers, when he was born in 1983. Their second grandson, Seth VanDyke, followed in 1995. They were so very proud of those grandsons, always eager to tell friends of Justin’s ice skating adventures all over the world and how Seth is helping people as a nurse practitioner. In October of 2020, they were so excited to welcome sweet Emily Mauldin into the family when she and Seth were married.
Sidney was surrounded by his family as he stepped into eternity on January 18, 2022. Besides his brother, his children and grandchildren, survivors include the two sons in law, Angie’s husband, Tony Childers, Debra’s husband, Larry DeFoor, his daughter in law, Ronnie’s wife, Greta Whitfield VanDyke and his favorite niece, Vicki Bowman and her family. And last but not least, sweet Addi Grace will miss her special granddaddy so much.
Sidney’s celebration of life will be on Saturday, January 22, 2022 at Calhoun First Baptist Church at 1:00 PM. Visitation will precede the service from 11-1. His former pastor of 38 years, Steven Pearson and his current pastor, John Barber will speak. Pallbearers will be Tony and Justin Childers, Larry DeFoor, Seth VanDyke, Brian DeFoor and Brayson
SMILE BECAUSE HE LIVED
You can shed tears that he is gone, or you can smile because he lived. You can close your eyes and pray that he will come back, or you can open your eyes and see all that he has left. Your heart can be empty because you can’t see him, or you can be full of the love that you shared. You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday, or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday. You can remember him and only that he is gone, or you can cherish his memory and let it live on. You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn back, or you can do what he would want: Smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
— Author Unknown