Famous for his lime-green formal suits, his generosity and sense of humour, former Canberra Milk boss Garry Sykes, one of the biggest sponsors of sport in the ACT, has died in Thailand aged 72.
As the former chief executive of Canberra Milk, Mr Sykes - or simply "Sykesy" to all his friends and business contacts - splashed the Canberra Milk logo across the Raiders' lime green jersey.
From that point on, "Up the Milk!" became the Raiders' rallying cry.
The Raiders would like to acknowledge the passing of former Canberra Milk Managing Director and long-time supporter of the club Garry Sykes.
— Canberra Raiders (@RaidersCanberra) December 1, 2022
Garry's association with the club spanned many years and he will be missed by many.
RIP Garry#WeAreRaiders pic.twitter.com/YAIi43t3Je
The sponsorship also triggered for a wide range of stunts and gags which promoted both the team and the milk, with Mr Sykes famously quipping at a presentation dinner - resplendent in his lime green attire, as usual - that his goal was to convince people in Canberra to drink more milk than beer ... and then rolled his eyes at the impossibility of it all.
For part of his tenure as the head of Canberra Milk, Mr Sykes lived in a modest house alongside the factory on Wentworth Avenue in Kingston. He retired to live in northern Thailand but remained a steadfast fan of the Raiders to the end, travelling down to Phuket to join up with players, coaching staff and supporters whenever he could.
Raiders chief executive Don Furner described Mr Sykes as a great and loyal supporter of the club, and a man who "lived life to the full" and carried a Viking tattoo.
"He was a larger-than-life character and always great fun to be around," Don Furner said.
"Canberra Milk was a big community partner for a lot of sport in the ACT, not just the Raiders but also the Brumbies.
"Garry [Sykes] always said that as someone who ran a successful Canberra business, he felt he had an obligation to give back to the Canberra community and he did that very generously, over many years."
Raiders Foundation director Paul Walshe became a good friend of Mr Sykes after meeting him for the first time more than 22 years ago.
"He loved fun, loved entertaining and being with people," Mr Walshe said.
"He was truly passionate about the Raiders and ... I only had a had message from him a week ago asking if I could grab him some of the latest Raiders merchandise - and then we got the sad news [of his passing]."
Lime green Canberra Milk was arguably one of the most successful promotions the Canberra Raiders staged, and when the company returned as a part-sponsor in 2013, photographs went around the country of club captain Terry Campese lolling in a bathtub of it, telling everyone who would listen: "Gee, I hope this is good for my [dicky] knee."
Tony Wood, aka Victor the Viking, said Mr Sykes was a hugely charitable person and his company a major sponsor of the Starlight Foundation and other cancer support groups in the ACT.
"Sykesy always liked to poke fun at conservatives and was the sort of bloke who wasn't afraid to speak his mind," Mr Wood said.
"He had a lot of mates in Canberra, loved the Raiders, and we will all miss his enthusiasm and generosity."
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