Rex Edwin Synco joined the angels on October 2, 2017 at the age of 81 years. Rex was born March 3, 1936 to Henry “Booker” and Ellen (Askew) Synco in Humphrey, Arkansas, the 5th child of 8 children.
Always a country boy at heart, Rex enjoyed his early years on the family farm on Goldman-Sunshine Road, playing with his siblings and cousins. As boys go, Rex and his playmates were usually up to mischief, many times the ending was not always good. But they enjoyed their companionship, excursions, and the stories they later told their children and grandchildren.
Besides helping on their farm, Rex and several brothers would also help their neighbors when they had the time. He had many fond memories of working on the Adolph Reinschler Farm.
A Saturday trip to town and a stop in Buerkle Drug Store is where he met the love of his life, Carolyn Sue Becker. She served him a soda and it was “love at first sight”. They dated for a few years and married May 27, 1957, three days after Carolyn graduated from Stuttgart High School.
During the first year of marriage, they lived in a tiny home on the farm where Rex continued to help out. On March 14, 1958, they welcomed their only child, a daughter, Terri Lea. When Terri was almost a year old, they moved to town, the corner of 10th and Park Avenue, where they still live today.
After their move, Rex began work for his father-in-law in the family business- Becker’s Petroleum. And in 1962 Rex became a service station attendant at Finch’s Esso (later Exxon) on the corner of 6th and Main. It was there that he discovered his love of motors and mechanics. In 1976, he and Carolyn began their own business, Rex Synco Auto and Lawn Mower Repair, and worked side by side together for 28 years. They retired in 2001 when his health began to fail. Both were not ones to sit idly by – they mowed yards, worked as janitors for several businesses, and in the last few years have been managers of Berg Mini-Storage and Ice House.
Rex had a deep appreciation and love for many things – himself, his God, and his family. He also developed a love for country music (Eddy Arnold was his all-time favorite singer), for getting his hands dirty (to fix a motor or grow flowers), and collecting Electroux vacuum cleaners. Rex never met a stranger and would talk to anyone he met. His big smile and easy going manner will be greatly missed.
Preceding him in death are his parents; two brothers, Ray and Roy Synco, and three sisters, Geneva Weatherly, Lois Hoffman, and Margaret Synco.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Carolyn Becker Synco, his daughter, Terri Lea Maier; 4 grandchildren, Jason Maier (Allison York, Sherwood), Jared Maier, Jordan (Ashley) Maier of Stuttgart, and Jessica (Justin) Reidhar of DeWitt; 6 great-grandchildren, Corbin, Jayda, and Mia Joy Maier, Kenzie and Keylee Reidhar, and Hunter Endres; a brother, Richard “Buck” Synco, and a sister, Francis Weischmann, and many nieces and nephews. He was also proud of his “honorary” great- grandchildren, McKenzie and Maddox Moorehead, and Chynne Camp, who enjoyed eating catfish and sharing stories.
Graveside services will be 11:00 A.M., Thursday, October 5, 2017 at the Lone Tree Cemetery in Stuttgart. Visitation with family will be from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. Wednesday, October 4 at Westbrook Funeral Home in Hazen. The family will gather at 907 South Leslie, Stuttgart.
Memorials may be made to the Emanuel Lutheran Church, 209 South Grand Avenue, Stuttgart, AR 72160.
My two sisters and i would go every year to Stuttgart with our Mom and Dad for his summer vacation and visit the Becker family. We visited with Rex and Carolyn, and Terri Lea, and had many fond memories of those visits and Rex’s wonderful smile and personality. I”m sure he made a friend of everyone he met in life. We feel so fortunate that Uncle Rex was in our life every summer, and talked with us over the years many times as we stayed in touch by phone. Our sincerest condolences to Carolyn and Terri Lea and their family from the Becker family in this difficult time
Echoing my brother’s sentiments, we would visit Aunt Carolyn, Uncle Rex, and Cousin Terri Lea every summer. We loved Uncle Rex; he was a lot of fun. My sister and I had a special nickname for him (not to be stated here). He had an infectious smile that will be missed. His marriage to Carolyn was an example to us all.