Stephen Thomas Sykes aka "Steve" took his final curtain call on October 22, 2026.

He was born October 26, 1969 in Joplin, Missouri to Thomas and Karen Sykes. He spent his early years singing in the Sykes Trio as part of his parents' music ministry. He graduated from Olivet Nazarene University in 1990 and married Rebecca Buchanan in 1992.

In his 25 years at Horace Mann, he served in multiple positions, working his way up from Customer Service Representative to Corporate Communications Specialist. He later worked for the State of Illinois Department of Human Services as a Human Service Caseworker.

Steve was an ardent performer, portraying characters in shows at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Hoogland Center for the Arts, Muni, Springfield Theatre Center, Theatre in the Park, and others. Favorite roles included Julian Marsh in 42nd Street, Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors, Buck Wiley in Memphis, and Henry Higgins and Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady (two different productions, of course). He even had his own troop, The Capitol Offense Players, in the 1990s.

Disability representation was important to him, and he hosted a podcast on The Front Row Network called View from the Back Row, which highlighted disabled actors in movies and television shows. From 2024-2025, he was the Artist in Residence for the Our Stage/Our Voices program at UIS, where he directed a predominantly disabled cast in the play Almost, Maine.

He had a heart for the underdog, as evidenced by the fact that he was a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Miami Dolphins fan.

Steve valued each of his friendships and was a joy to all who knew him. He was friendly, witty, and smart. His positivity and tenacity served as an example to all.

He immediately reached out to check on friends he sensed were struggling and sent encouraging songs to them. He excelled at being a good friend.

He did not have many blood relatives, but he was proud of the chosen family he cultivated. Survivors include his best friend and ex-wife, Rebecca (Jessica) Buchanan, "stepkids" Dulcinea and Mick Polhemus, "nephew" Kyle Hudson, “super friends” Rey (Ben Pottorf) Hettrick, Missy Norman, Megan Norlin, and Ryan (Kara) Davis, and the rest of his “Moist” trivia team. To list everyone he counted as a friend would be impossible.

Steve had a huge heart for all the fur babies, including his beloved cat, Gracie.

May we live his legacy by prioritizing our friendships.

Visitation will be held from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. Monday, October 26, 2026, at Vancil-Murphy Funeral Home. A funeral service will be at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at Vancil-Murphy Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Animal Protective League.