Obituary of Andrew Anthony Sikes

" Andrew A. Sikes, 46, of Ridgewood Village in Chicopee, formerly of Belchertown and South Hadley, died at home September 6, 2004. Born in Holyoke, October 18, 1957, he was the son of Dorothy (Pastomerlo) Sikes of Chicopee and the late Kenneth W. Sikes, Sr. who died in 2003. He was a 1976 graduate of South Hadley High School where he enjoyed playing football and could always be counted on to get his friends places with one of his many supped up cars. Upon graduation he worked a few years in construction and then turned to his love of cars and worked the rest of his life in the auto body field. He worked for many years at Wiesel’s Auto Body Shop in South Hadley until opening his own shop, Sikes Auto Body in Palmer which he ran from 1981 until 2000. An avid race car enthusiast, he followed Nascar and raced his own car at Riverside Raceway. Andy belonged to the Belchertown Lions Club and enjoyed golfing, skiing and snowmobiling. Besides his mother, he is survived by his three beloved children, Matthew, Liane and Stephen Sikes all of Belchertown, his sister Kimberly Sikes and brothers Brian and Kenneth W., Jr., all of Chicopee along with many uncles, aunts, nieces and cousins and his former wife and friend, Lynn of Belchertown. Funeral services will be held on Friday at 10:00 a.m. at the Beers & Story S. Hadley Funeral Home, 646 Newton St, (Rte.116) followed by burial in St. Rose de Lima Cemetery, Chicopee. Visiting hours will be Thursday from 2:00 – 4:00 and 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Donations may be made in his memory to the American Heart Association of Western Mass, 1111 Elm St, W. Springfield, MA 01089, or to a charity of one’s choice."