Mark E. Sikora II

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Mark E. Sikora II on Saturday, March 8, 2025. Mark was born in Burlington, Vermont, on October 5, 1946, to Mark E. Sikora and Elizabeth (Guyette) Sikora.
Mark attended Rice Memorial High School and graduated in 1964. He attended Champlain College and graduated in 1969. He was a member of the Vermont Air National Guard for almost 20 years. Mark met Kathleen (Kathy) Oak in Plattsburgh in 1966 and they were married in 1968. Their first son was born while living in an apartment in Burlington above Sikora's Shoe Repair where he had worked through high school and college with his grandfather and uncle. Mark and his family moved to Long Island for two years where he worked for an auto parts company. Mark returned with his family to his beloved Vermont in 1971 where they welcomed their second son while living in South Hero. They moved to Richmond in 1973.
In 1971 Mark and Kathy started Sikora Auto Parts, which was a successful business. In the early years Mark would sell auto parts out of his truck, and in 1987 they opened a retail store in Richmond. They sold the business to Maynard Auto Supply in 1994. Mark continued seeing his customers, many of whom became friends, until May 2024 when he finally had to retire from Fisher Auto Parts due to health complications. He always considered himself a "wagon peddler" rather than a salesman. He loved working.
As their children grew, they took up golf, something they both enjoyed. Mark and Kathy were long-time members at the West Bolton Golf Club and played courses throughout Vermont, the U.S., and Canada. Golf was often the reason for or part of their vacations. Mark wouldn't have said he loved to travel, but he did enjoy the destinations and experiences shared with family and friends. Their last road trip was in September 2024 to visit their grandson in Colorado and see parts of the U.S. and Canada they had never seen before. Major trips included Bermuda, Costa Rica, Margarita Island, and a river cruise through the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Switzerland.
Mark was a lifelong fisherman and hunter. He looked forward to annual hunting trips to New York and Pennsylvania with his son, grandson, and best friend Jimmy Dattilio. Mark often greeted you with a smile or a joke and usually with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. He was a friend to many.
Mark is survived by his wife Kathy; sons Mark and Matthew (Heather Gibbs); grandsons Johnathin (Liza Sikora) and Tyler; great grandchildren Lukas Ladieu, Mackenzie Ladieu, Ace Sikora, and Sophia Sikora; siblings Netti (Jerome Rand), Jeffrey (Kathleen Malaney), and Jill (Robert Cain); nieces and nephews Nolan Cain, Sikora Cain, Molly Dedes (Alex), Kristen Winningham (Nico), and Jay Rand (Charlotte); aunt Patricia Sikora; and many cousins, friends, neighbors, and customers.
He was predeceased by his parents Mark and Elizabeth Sikora, his mother- and father-in-law Molly and Jack Oak, and niece Chelsea Sikora.
Visiting hours will be on Saturday, March 15th from 4:00 to 6:00 pm at Ready's Funeral Home, 68 Pinecrest Drive, Essex Junction, VT. A gathering for his friends and family will be announced at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the Green Mountain Conservation Camp Endowment Fund, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept., 1 National Life Drive, Davis 2, Montpelier, VT 05620-3702 or, Machia Wilderness Camp, 703 Dorset Street, South Burlington, VT 05403. Please visit their websites for donation information.