Skyla Sisco

1975 - 2025

Skyla Sisco, age 50, of Malta, Montana, passed away on November 13, 2025, after a six-year battle with breast cancer. Skyla was born on June 10, 1975, in Malta, MT, to Dan and Marla Sisco, joining her big brother, Paul.

From the beginning, Skyla's life was shaped by her love of sports. As a youngster, she wanted nothing more than to play basketball with her brother, and he was kind enough to let her chase rebounds in the driveway for hours at a time. That simple joy grew into a lifelong passion for basketball and athletics.

Skyla graduated from Malta High School in 1993, where she excelled in basketball, volleyball, and track & field. She helped lead the M-Ettes to the 1991 Class B state basketball championship and a state runner-up finish in 1992, earning a reputation for fierce competitiveness. In track & field, she became a three-time Class B state high jump champion and set the Class B state high jump record at 5 feet, 7 inches-a mark that still stands today, 34 years later. These accomplishments eventually earned her induction into the Montana High School Association Athletes' Hall of Fame, Class of 2001.

After high school, Skyla fulfilled a dream by playing basketball for Robin Selvig and the University of Montana Lady Griz. She was voted Big Sky MVP in 1998, earned honorable mention Kodak All-American honors, and was selected as the NCAA Woman of the Year for the State of Montana. Her contributions to the Lady Griz program were later recognized with her induction into the Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame, Class of 2021. She received an undergraduate degree in health and human performance and a master's degree in psychology, both from the University of Montana.

Skyla's basketball career took her well beyond Montana. She played professional basketball overseas in Luxembourg and Belgium, embracing the challenge and joy of competing internationally. She also had what she loved to joke was the "shortest WNBA stint in history," receiving her Phoenix Mercury jersey and locker only to be released hours later.

Outside of basketball, Skyla found a second athletic community in ultimate frisbee, competing with the Mental Toss Flycoons. She played at the highest levels, contributing to a national title in 2008. She was inducted into the Ultimate Hall of Fame, Class of 2024, a recognition of both her skill and her impact on the sport.

Skyla's love of the outdoors flourished in Missoula. She loved being on a mountain bike, a river, an ultimate field, or a hockey rink. Her love of animals and the environment led her to serve on the board of the Big Blackfoot Chapter of Trout Unlimited, raise chickens, and grow her own food.

She cherished the time she spent fishing with her father on the Hi-Line and traveling the world with her mother.

Her drive and never-ending thirst for knowledge shaped her varied careers as a 911 dispatcher, graphic designer, and restaurateur.

In 2019, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She fought as you'd expect-with the determination, grace, and strength that she was known and loved for.

She passed peacefully into an aurora night sky that was as beautiful as she was.

Skyla is survived by her beloved husband, Michael Faris, and dog, Asha; her father, Dan (Karen); her mother, Marla; and her brother, Paul (Carrie), and their children, Cooper, Summer, and Logan. She was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Albert and Leotis Sisco; her maternal grandparents, William and Lois Ashby; and her aunts Terri Castellano and Sharon Gunn. She is also survived by her aunts and uncles Vicki and Bill Cowan and George and Bonita Ashby, as well as numerous cousins, teammates, and lifelong friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Skyla Sisco Scholarship at First State Bank of Malta in Malta, Montana.

A Celebration of Life is planned for December 15 at the Adams Center in Missoula, Montana. Doors will open at 2:12, with the celebration beginning at 3:00. Reception to follow.