Sydney Mae, nee Beckner, born September 22, 1946 in Huntington, WV, went to be with the Lord May 17th, 2026, at the Wyngate Senior Living Community in Barboursville, WV, after a prolonged period of declining health.
Sydney, the fourth child of the late Harold F. and Wilma Irene Smith Beckner, grew up on 16th Street Road and graduated from Barboursville High School in 1964. She was preceded in death by her brothers Harold Glenn and Billy Jack Beckner. She leaves to cherish her memory beloved sister Kathy Sims and husband Tom.
Sydney was the owner of the Big Loafer Restaurant in the Huntington Mall, a local institution since 1981. For decades, she could be found behind the counter, in a beautiful dress, waiting on her valued customers.
Sydney was a faithful and generous member of several local churches through the years and had settled at Lewis Memorial Baptist for her last decade or so.
Sydney is also survived by daughter Burgetta Eplin Wheeler of Raleigh, NC, and son Burgess Len Eplin and his wife, LeighAnn, of Barboursville, WV; her grandchildren Sierra Wheeler Edens and husband Zack of Barboursville, Seth Wheeler of Portsmouth, VA, Samuel Eplin of Ironton, OH, Abigail Do and husband Hieu of Lexington, KY, and bonus granddaughter Kaitlyn Patty and husband Jake of Lawrenceberg, KY; and two great-grandchildren, Knox and Elias Edens.
The family deeply thanks all the lovely staff at Wyngate who seemed to dote on her. Many of them touched our hearts when they came by during her final hours to express their heartfelt sympathy and to say goodbye to her. We also would like to thank the staff at Hospice who helped her during her final time and the wonderful people at Lewis Memorial Baptist for all the visits and cards during her time at Wyngate.
Visitation will start at 10 a.m. on Thursday May 21, 2026 at Wallace Funeral Home & Chapel, Barboursville, with a service at 11 a.m. Interment will follow at White Chapel Memorial Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Little Victories, where she picked out her faithful and wonderful cat, Katie, or Facing Hunger Foodbank, which were two of the many charities she supported through the years.
Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.timeformemory.com/wallace.
