Shane Matthew Sykes, 33, of Warren, died after a brief illness on Aug. 9, 2023 at Pen Bay Medical Center. He was born in Bangor on June 16, 1990 to Gerald (Roy) and Cynthia (Hagar) Sykes. He was a lifetime resident of the Midcoast. Wherever he lived, he always called Bristol his home.
Shane graduated from Lincoln Academy in 2008 and then became a full-time clamdigger. He was a hardworking man and later became a lobsterman. He looked forward to each day spent on the ocean, and often photographed the horizon in the early dawn hours. He also worked at Masters Machine Shop and was a cook at a few local restaurants. He always said he made an awesome steak, and he did.
Shane was a friendly, compassionate man, and was always willing to help anyone in need. He was a big kid at heart. He enjoyed playing Scrabble and Skip-Bo, and was never too busy to play a game or build a Lego project if a child asked him to. He greatly missed raising his own beloved children. Shane collected old bottles, rocks, shells, and deer antlers that he found when roaming the woods.
Shane was predeceased by his father; and siblings, Melissa Thayer and Roy Knight. He is survived by his mother; his loving partner, Tiffany Gifford and her daughters, Alexis, Hayley, and Katelyn; his twin sons, Grant and Luke; and daughters, Peyton and Emelia; brothers, Gregory Thayer Jr. (Andrea), of Freedom, Benjamin Thayer, of New York, Jeremy Sykes, of Greene, and Andrew Knight; and sister, Sandy (Fern) Poland, of Bremen.
Memorial donations may be made to Make-A-Wish Maine, 66 Mussey Road, Scarborough, ME 04074. A celebration of life will be held soon. A monarch butterfly will be released in his memory at a memorial gathering in New Hampshire.
