DUNKIRK: Rev. Harry C. Lycett, 96, of Cherry Street, South Dayton, formerly of Smith Mills, died Sunday, October 27th, at the Absolut at Dunkirk. Rev. Lycett was born in the Town of Carrollton, NY on September 9, 1917, the son of the late Harry J. and Enola (Hough) Lycett.
He was a graduate of East High School, Buffalo and graduated from Clear Creek Bible School in Pineville, Kentucky in 1953. Rev. Lycett moved to Smith Mills in October 1954 and started Gage Chapel Community Church, serving as Pastor for a total of 29 years (from January 1954-November 1958 & January 1968-1992, when he retired). He was also a Pastor at Maryland Bible Church, Onieda, NY for 3 years, Hayts Corners Bible Church, Hayts Corners, NY for 4 years and in 1966 started a new church at Onieda Beach-Fellowship Baptist, where he served for 3 years. He worked at Odosagih Bible Conference in Machias, NY and attended Family Church in South Dayton. Rev. Lycett was a former member of Faith Baptist Church, Dunkirk, a former member of Gage Chapel Community Church, Smith Mills and at one time worked for Forestville Central School as a Custodian.
Survivors include a daughter, Linda Rose, of Silver Creek, two sons John (Priscilla) Lycett, of South Dayton and Thomas Lycett, of Dunkirk. Also surviving are 12 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, 3 great-great grandchildren and several nieces & nephews. Besides his parents he was predeceased by his wife Ruth (Rolloff) Lycett, whom he married April 13, 1940 in Buffalo and who died October 14, 2001, by a daughter Sally Peebles and by 3 sisters Doris Gearmon, Betty Reilly & Helen Burghstahler.
Friends are welcome to call at the Riles & Woolley Funeral Home, 39 Main Street, Forestville on Wednesday from 2-4 & 7-9 pm from where Funeral Services will be held Thursday morning at 11 o’clock, with Rev. Michael Pollock, pastor of Gage Chapel Community Church, officiating. Interment will follow in Balltown Cemetery, Town of Hanover.
The family suggests memorial donations may be made either to the Forestville Fire Dept. Emergency & Rescue Squad, Chestnut Street, Forestville, NY 14062 or to the American Cancer Society, 101 John J. Audubon Parkway, Amherst, NY 14228-1198. To post condolences go to www.rilesandwoolleyfuneralhome.com.
2 Comments
lori sinclair wilson
I am very sorry for you loss. Your father married almost my whole family we went to hear him almost every sunday. He was such a caring man.
jeanette elwell-cossin
Dear Family, I hope you had the same experience I did with this man. I went through complete despair, loss of family, struggle for life and he took the time many times to help stand in the gap and shine a light for me that I could not see at the time in my teen years and early 20’s when I would take my sisters to church. He was also there as an ear and heart when my sister was in a car accident. It was his willing heart that wanted to help that even know he could not take the pain away, he had something he could share that he knew could help and that was Jesus. No man is perfect and I don’t want to put him as a God, but you know who really cares and who doesn’t. No doubt in my mind that he left a legacy of ministry help to me. I wanted to be there at the funeral to show respect and am more grieved of my failure to get there, but mostly wanted to be there to give the family what he had given to me. Hugs to all of you! His life had a lot of value, and I can have tears of joy because of that. It is a death to be proud of that Pastor Lycett gave the gift of his very life back to God and to others. Surely, he makes me feel like there is hope. May the family know his example was because he let Jesus hold his hand and I hope I can do what he did and let others know that God understands. I saw him over past few years at Gage chapel and although retired he still carried on his outgoing way to see if we were okay and that’s to say a lot to me in a world that makes it easy to turn away and tend to one’s own cares. May his outreach teach us all to reach out to others while we can.
peace and love to all his descendants who will press forward here on earth that kind of love he had,
love jeanette