Rhoda F. Sikov

SIKOV: Rhoda F. Sikov. Born in Pittsburgh on Sept. 29, 1927. Rhoda was the beloved daughter of the late Ella and William Finn and the sister of the late M. Richard Finn (Jackie). Rhoda was the wonderful wife of the late Seymour A. Sikov, Esq. She was the loving mother of Carol Sikov Gross, Dr. William Sikov (Susie) and Paul Sikov (Ellen), and the cherished Grammie of Evan Gross (Leigh), Rayna Copperman (Ethan), Mark Sikov, Jennifer Sikov, Zachary Sikov and Tyler Sikov. She was the treasured aunt of Barry A. Sikov (Elaine) and the great-aunt of Michelle Sikov, Michael Sikov (Jenni) and their children. She also had extended family on her late brother’s side in Kansas and Iowa. Rhoda grew up on the North Side but spent most of her life in Squirrel Hill and Oakland, until she moved to Longwood at Oakmont in 2016. She was a very talented performer who sang, danced and acted throughout her life. As a little girl, she was taught by Gene Kelly and sang a solo after getting a pep talk from Gene. She performed in several shows at the Pittsburgh Playhouse, including “Joe Egg.” She also wrote and starred in numerous fundraisers for B’nai B’rith and Tree of Life Congregation. She never lost her love of performing, appearing in annual talent shows at Longwood as recently as last year. Rhoda graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and was a sister of Sigma Delta Tau Sorority. She then met the love of her life, who she affectionally referred to as “Sy,” and married him on Aug. 27, 1950. She went on to teach at Wightman School because she had ranked second in the city as a teaching candidate by the Pittsburgh Public Schools board. She also taught at an Army base in Massachusetts after Sy was stationed there when he was called back into service for the Korean War. Rhoda loved playing bridge, mahjong and canasta with her many friends. She loved golfing and playing tennis, and she enjoyed teaching her Pittsburgh grandchildren to play golf. Rhoda was an avid traveler and especially loved cruising on the Crystal Serenity. While she journeyed as far as China, Japan, South America, Israel and even Antarctica, her favorite and most frequent place to travel was England. Over a span of 30 years, she also spent many weeks spending time with various members of her family on the beach in Redington Shores, Florida. She was a longtime member of Tree of Life Congregation and an active participant in its Sisterhood. Rhoda believed strongly in philanthropy and was dedicated to the arts, the Democratic party, women’s organizations and Jewish causes. She and her late husband established the Rhoda and Seymour Sikov Philanthropic Fund with the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. Recently, she made a generous donation to the Remember. Rebuild. Renew. project to help Tree of Life recover, where her late husband and her daughter both served as presidents of the congregation. Most importantly, Rhoda loved spending time with her family. She loved cooking for them, taking them out to dinner around Pittsburgh, and treating them to special family trips where everyone made many lasting memories. She was extremely generous with her time, her energy, and her love. She always regaled her family and numerous friends with stories from throughout her life as she had a wonderful memory and was a skilled storyteller. Rhoda was the matriarch of her family, and we will all miss her stories, wisdom and love very much. She will live on in all of us. Services at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., 5509 Centre Avenue, Shadyside on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023, at 11 a.m. Visitation one hour prior to services (10 to 11 a.m.). Interment Beth Shalom Cemetery. Shiva will be held Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. in Squirrel Hill. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Remember. Rebuild. Renew. project at Tree of Life, Inc., Tree of Life, Inc., 0 Woodland Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15232 or to the Cemetery Fund at Tree of Life Congregation (treeoflifepgh.org). schugar.com PJC