Christy Dawn Hicks

God, we know our daughter Christy Hicks is with you in Heaven and is now embraced in your loving arms. But, in our grief we wonder and ask, “Why did you have to take her so soon?” We know she earned her spot in heaven, but at 41 years of age, her life was only halfway through and we believe her earthly work wasn’t complete. Christy died unexpectedly at her Sandpoint home on Saturday, December 19th. Tears fall as I recall her life and view all of the pictures we’ve ever taken that are spread out before me. I see a lovely, curly-haired girl who grew from youth to adulthood forever helping and assisting her fellow man or woman. As a child, she loved to skip around in her bedroom humming and singing with a smile ever-present on her face. Like a dragon-fly she spread her wings and everybody was blessed to be in her presence as long as you weren’t on her list. As a teenager she made a pilgrimage to Yugoslavia to view the image of the Virgin Mary at Medjugorje, and she later volunteered as a candy-striper at our local hospital in Sandpoint, Idaho. She’s worked in day care centers helping children, and she later worked in a life care center assisting senior citizens. She did a religious mission in Africa (Zimbabwe) where she helped build a missionary school, and actually viewed the Victoria Falls. Christy spent two years working for AmeriCorps, and she and her son Orion recently visited some of her AmeriCorps friends in Denver, whom she hadn’t seen in many years. Christy loved her siblings (Tracy, Matt [whom she called Bart since childhood], Shawn and Brian), although at times she claimed her older brother Brian bugged her to excess. She also placed her best friend Brooke Sharp (a childhood friend since they were in 6th grade together at Northside Elementary School) in the same category as her family. Born in Anchorage, Alaska, she moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, with her parents and her brothers and sister at age six. Throughout her life she enjoyed traveling and visited numerous states in the U.S. including hiking down into the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Over the years she also made several trips to Seaside, Oregon, with family members to walk the Pacific Coast beaches and whale watch. After graduation from Sandpoint High School, she returned to Alaska and attended college at Shelton Jackson College in Sitka for two years earning an Associate Degree. Nearly two decades ago she traveled Down Under to Australia and New Zealand with her mother Maureen. They had a wonderful time touring and sight-seeing and enjoyed the trip immensely. In recent years when they recalled the trip, she laughed about her mom boogie boarding down a huge sand dune where at the bottom she crashed and burned. With a grin she’d say, “I’ll bet Lucy’s mother (a reference to another person named Lucy in their sand dune tour group) wouldn’t go boogie boarding.” Over the years she also said her mom could spot a wombat from a hundred yards away…even if it was a dog. Last year she, her sister Tracy and her mom flew to Greece for a couple weeks and stayed on one of the offshore islands, toured the capital city of Athens and visited the Acropolis. She hoped to some day return with her daughter Alaura for another visit. Christy had many adventures in her life. She once worked a summer living at an outdoor base camp on a glacier near Juneau, Alaska. Her time was spent as a dog handler for experienced dog mushers. Her job was to help feed, care, harness and hook up sled dogs for tourists who were flown in by helicopter. After an orientation talk on Alaskan dog mushing, the visitors enjoyed a three-mile looped dog sled ride over glacier trails. In recent years Christy managed the Good Will store in Ponderay and lastly the Panhandle Animal Shelter Thrift Store also in Ponderay. It was at this job that she truly excelled. Her co-workers could count on seeing her with her ever present companion…a golden-colored dog named Walter. Christy married Neale Syth and they had two children, Orion and Alaura, whom she adored and loved; although the marriage didn’t last. She was currently saving money so she and her daughter Alaura could take a month-long pilgrimage trip to Europe during the summer of 2016 to hike the El Camino Santago Trail (also known as the “Way of St. James”). This trail starts in southern France, skirts over the Pyrenees Mountains and down the coast of Spain for nearly 600 miles. They had both purchased trail passports which would be stamped along the route. We know our daughter Christy, with her ever present smile, treasured friendships, loved her life, her family and she was looking forward to embracing the rest of her life’s journey. So again, this is her father asking the question, “God…why did you have to take her so soon?” Christy is survived by her parents, Cecil and Maureen Hicks of Sandpoint. Her children Orion and Alaura. Her siblings: Brian, Careywood, Tracy, Sagle, and Matt and Shawn Sandpoint numerous nephews and nieces, and her best friend Brooke. Family members and friends alike agreed that they finally made it off Christy’s list, but she is now on our list of people whom we will forever love and miss. A memorial service for family and friends will be held at Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Sandpoint on Sunday, December 27th at 2:00 p.m. refreshments will be provided. In lieu of flowers, a trust fund account for her children Orion and Alaura has been set up at Horizon Credit Union in Sandpoint, Idaho. Please make checks payable to Brian Hicks (for the Orion and Alaura account), 520 N. 5th. Avenue, Sandpoint, Idaho, 83864.