Joe *Pegleg Smith* Sykes............for those of you that knew him, RIP

[jmac00]

I hope this thread gets to the many friends that Joe has on this site.(Talk-air)

Joe passed away early on new years eve. He was battling PTSD and I had helped him fight those demons for over 25 years. He took his own life and it is very hard on the family. It is just now that I am over the anger of him breaking ours hearts and really realized it was not my Joe that did what he did. He snapped and could n't regain him self.

I am blessed to have three wonderful young sons that Joe and I raised and they are a great comfort to me. They are taking care of me and the house.

HIs services are at Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside, CA on Jan 8th, 2009 at 2:30 pm. I probablywill not be on this site again, my own email is alessandrohigh@yahoo.com

Dice, I am so glad to have met you and some of the others, JOe always talked about you guys. Collin the BBQ dude. Jmac - still remember the hurt thumb. Sorry if I forget someone, YOU all were special to him.

It is with heavy heart I send this email to you all.

God bless you all and I know you will miss Pegleg messing with the new guy on the site. Someone else can take on the "Go pound Sand" reply.

Thank you for being such a great part of Joes life, He could talk with you guys on things he could not or would not talk to me about. and you all understood his business and trade.

I am sure Peg will be looking down and keeping track of your posts and laughing with ya'll

Sincerely
Mrs. PegLeg Smith
Linda Sykes

************************************************** ******

Joe was great friend and very knowledgeable in refrigeration. I am very sad that he is no longer with us.

For those of you that knew him, Linda's e-mail address is in the note she posted to our forum

RIP my Friend

[hvac r us 2]

I am still shocked about this one Jmac after learning about it in the morning. :(

Its very sad and disturbing. May God watch over Joe and his family.

[sline-dawg]

Wow.... I've read lots of post..... I had no idea he suffered from PTSD.... damn shame..... Thoughts and best wishes for those who knew him....:(

[Dad]

Sorry to hear that Jeff... my prayers out to his family.

Mods.. can you leave the email addy for this please... thanks

[pecmsg]

Rest in Peace Brother

[jmac00]

Sorry to hear that Jeff... my prayers out to his family.

Mods.. can you leave the email addy for this please... thanks

Thank You

as a kind of funny side note, Joe might have been one of the first people ever banned form HVAC-Talk :) Back in 2000 :(

[Dad]

That's OK Jeff.. if you remember he and you welcomed me as a peer when I joined TA. That was when I came and got in it with you-know-who. :D

I spoke with Peg a few times and actually sent him piece of software he was looking for. He will be missed.

[jmac00]

man, that had to be 2004? 05? :)

I have been talking (on the forum) to Joe all most every day for the last 9 years. I'm very sad I never got the chance to meet him in person. he had a unique perspective on life and his family.

he was a Marine, through & through.

I can't believe he puled this crap, not only am I very sad, I'm pretty pissed of at him. I know that sounds selfish, but thats how I feel. I'm very mad he didn't get help. :(:mad:

[mo-flo]

condolences from the mo-flo family....

[jrbenny]

Truly sad that an AMVET suffered like he did.

Condolences to his family and friends.

[oroy54]

This is sad news indeed. I remember Peg leg from a couple of sites. Godspeed Mr. Sykes.

[Twilly]

Semper Fi...

[BaldLoonie]

So sorry to hear. I remember Peg from the early days of this board. Losing someone in this manner is extra hard but all should remember that mental issues and depression is a disease just like cancer. Those who haven't experienced it often do not understand.

[otto]

Condolences from the Weddell family.
I'll miss pegleg, Joe too.

[Collin]

Joe did not suffer fools glady, I remember him getting into it with a DIY by the name of 747Mike. In the end, the OP was told to pound sand up his ass, and good old Pegleg was banned.:(

But Joe was a good guy at heart, here is a story Mel from All Temp posted over at Gil's many moons ago:
"It's not often you get to meet the guys on the other end of this forum.... Here I've met two of them PegLeg, Joe Sykes and his Buddy Druid pictured here a few weeks back in Upland,CA after helping me out on a control problem on this dinosaur
http://www.alltemp-hvac.com/joe.jpg
Joe and Druid dropped everything they were doing in the middle of the morning a drove a good hour over to help out on solving my situation ... A couple of great guys ..."

Another thing Joe believed in was honoring his fellow servicemen, I snipped it from another post:
"I have participated in over 500 burials at Riverside, performing Final Military Honors once a month on the second Thursday of every month. It is a humbling experience yet the most honorable thing I have ever done.
www.usv-jsc.com We need help in most areas of the nation."


Semper Fi Joe Sykes.

[Collin]

"I honor Veterans at least one day a month when my unit goes to Riverside National Cemetery and performs Final Honors at their grave sites. We post Colors, fire the three volley salute, play Taps, and then fold and present the flag.
We wear Class'A' Army uniforms, complete with swords and sabers. We fire M-1 rifles supplied by the cemetery or some old bolt action Springfeilds our National Command Sergeant Major has.
It isn't something that I do for ****s and giggles, I do it because if I don't, no one will. It is a terrible thing that in this time of national patriotism that we have been going through, everybody is willing to wave the flag, but nobody wants to be bothered honoring those who served.
My dad made all 4 combat jumps into Europe during WW II as an Army paratrooper. When he passed on there was no one to render him the honors due him. That is one of the reasons I volunteer to do the Honors. I am a Vietnam vet,a Marine. My oldest son is in Iraq right now. My middle son is do to go over next Febuary. Their both Marines."

QFT

[jpb2]

I had not the chance to meet him but it is a great loss. My prayers go out to all involved and connected.

[jmac00]

"I honor Veterans at least one day a month when my unit goes to Riverside National Cemetery and performs Final Honors at their grave sites. We post Colors, fire the three volley salute, play Taps, and then fold and present the flag.
We wear Class'A' Army uniforms, complete with swords and sabers. We fire M-1 rifles supplied by the cemetery or some old bolt action Springfeilds our National Command Sergeant Major has.
It isn't something that I do for ****s and giggles, I do it because if I don't, no one will. It is a terrible thing that in this time of national patriotism that we have been going through, everybody is willing to wave the flag, but nobody wants to be bothered honoring those who served.
My dad made all 4 combat jumps into Europe during WW II as an Army paratrooper. When he passed on there was no one to render him the honors due him. That is one of the reasons I volunteer to do the Honors. I am a Vietnam vet,a Marine. My oldest son is in Iraq right now. My middle son is do to go over next Febuary. Their both Marines."

One class act:( thanx Collin, for remembering that.

[Some Dude]

Had a brother with ptsd, Keh Sahn 1968, died a few years ago. This is a terible problem with no real cure , It is very hard if not imposible to monitor for those on the outside watching. I wish his family the best , i know what if feels like.
Vietnam vets had it worse than any other generation of vets.
They went from Vietnam back to the 'world' the states in 24 hours. No time to decompress or talk things out with their buddies and were often spit on or called babie killers by wicked , stupid people who had enough money that they didnt have to go to Vietnam. They could go to college.
Losing People like this leaves us poorer for their passing and should make some people in this country ashamed of what they did or didnt do.
This post should go to 4000 plus.

[coolwhip]

I remember him freakin out a few times on certain sites.

RIP

[Texas-Tech]

I never knew him but am very sorry for his loss, you have lost a friend and an honorable man. PTSD is very real and impossible for some to deal with and I am fortunate not to have suffered from it myself.

[Diceman]

I remember him freakin out a few times on certain sites.

RIP
Every site.:D

[coolwhip]

Every site.:D

Yeah...no kiddin.;)

[hvac r us 2]

I thought he was great! He flipped out on me on many occasions, and made a few grown men cry! LOL

But, behind the curtain he was kind. I know when I was going into the hospital or something was going wrong he was always there saying "good luck H2, hang in there".

He also showed me how to make the great "Peg Leg Peppers" they are awesome! I posted about the peppers a little while ago asking a question and he didn't respond...thought that was a little odd. :(

[AllTemp]

I am deeply saddened by this news, I didn't know Joe as well as most. I met Joe a few times around the nieghborhood, he was an excellent refrigeration mechanic and knew his way around!





RIP Joe