Charlotte Lee Sikula, passed away at the age of 70, on Friday, January 27, 2023 peacefully at home after a long battle with liver failure. Her husband Michael, Sister Judy, and brother-in-law John were at her side at the time of her passing.
Charlotte was born in Olean, New York on March 27, 1952. She was the daughter of Howard and Greta (Ault) Yeaples. She was a graduate of Otto-Eldred Jr-Sr High School, Duke Center, PA. During high school years she was a cheerleader, Blazer member, vice-president of her class, member of the Senior Chorus, and participated in Junior and Senior Plays. BTW-She was also voted “Best Looking”.
Charlotte joined the Navy right out of high school. She was in the Navy 3 years where she pursued a nursing career. In the Navy she was HM3 Secretary to Head Naval Regional Medical Center, Secretary to Chief of Division, and Naval Regional Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. She was also Head Corpswave, Dependent female ward and worked special duty on maternity ward, Quonset Point, Rhode Island. She was honorably discharged in 1973.
After the Navy, she obtained a BS from the University of Central Florida. She was in the 1st graduating class in Nursing from the University of Central Florida.
In her 30-year nursing career she worked in various disciplines; operating room nurse, relief charge nurse, general surgery ranging from urology, ENT, thoracic, gynecology, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, orthopedics, cardiovascular and laser nurse for laser surgery. She was also the Nursing Manager of a freestanding outpatient surgery center.
Charlotte met her husband, Michael, through a Classified Personal Ad that she ran in the Orlando Sentinel newspaper. Their first date was at Chi-Chi’s Mexican Restaurant, where she had given him the wrong directions on how to get there (Grrr).
They were married 36 years. They have one son Michael Gerald Sikula and one grandson Lucas Jeremiah Sikula.
Charlotte’s favorite things to do was travel around the country visiting family, attending family reunions, and seeing famous sites like Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, etc. She enjoyed watching cooking shows and soap operas…her favorite being “The Young and The Restless”.
She was preceded death by her parents, Howard Fred Yeaples and Greta (Ault) Yeaples, her sister Ellen (Yeaples) Young, brother Howard Fred Yeaples, Jr.; brothers-in-law, Philip Thomas Young and Gary William Silsby, niece Olivia Lee Douglas, and other extended family members.
She leaves behind the following family: husband-Michael Joseph Sikula, son-Michael Gerald Sikula, grandson- Lucas Jeremiah Sikula, sisters-Patti (Yeaples) Silsby, Judy (Yeaples) Mix, Greta (Yeaples) Edminster, brothers-in-law, Jeff Edminster, John Mix, sister-in-law Anita (Varga) Yeaples, and many nieces, nephews, and family members.