Daniel J. Fyckes, 27, of Minot, North Dakota, formerly of Norwood, NY, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, December 24, 2022 due to apparent flu complications.

Dan was born on November 30, 1995, in Massena, NY the son of Sterling and Nancy (Rakoce) Fyckes. His passion was playing hockey and he was a member of the Louisville Lightning 14U team that won the Northeast Regional hockey championship and won several NY State Championships with the St. Lawrence Thunder team. He graduated from Norwood-Norfolk High School in 2013.

Taking a gap year after graduation, he played hockey for the Morrisburg Lions in Morrisburg, Ontario, Canada, before playing Junior A hockey in New Hampshire for the Fighting Spirits. At the National Championship in Las Vegas, he was recruited by Dakota College of Bottineau, ND,, and participated on a team that won the National Junior College Hockey Championship. After receiving his Associates Degree in Applied Science (AAS) from Dakota College, he worked at Investors Real Estate Trust (IRET) and Thompson and Sons before finding his preferred job at Absolute Comfort in Minot as a Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Technician.

He is survived by his daughter, Layla, Minot, ND; parents, Nancy and Sterling; brother, Andy; nephew, Karson Fyckes; maternal grandfather, Richard Rakoce; great uncle, Elmer Rakoce, and several aunts, uncles and cousins.

He is predeceased by his maternal grandmother, Shirley Rakoce, and paternal grandparents, Sterling and Eleanor Fyckes.

Dan played hockey in a Minot adult hockey league on Wednesday nights and was an outdoorsman, who loved hunting, fishing, and camping trips with his daughter. Dan and Layla had a special bond singing country music, baking, eating breakfast at Kroll's Diner on Saturday mornings, attending the Minot Minotauros (Tier II Junior League) hockey games, and playing with their dogs, Ruger and Ruby. Dan was excited that Layla enjoyed skating as much as he did so he enrolled her in a Learn to Skate program and she's becoming a good little hockey player.

Public Visitation: Thursday, December 29, 2022 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in Thomas Family Funeral Home – Minot.

A funeral service in his hometown of Norwood, NY will take place in the near future.

In lieu of plants and flowers memorials are preferred to a local pet shelter or youth hockey program.

Memories and condolences may be shared at www.thomasfamilyfuneralhome.com.

(Thomas Family Funeral Home, Minot, and Buck Funeral Home, Norwood, NY, are in charge of arrangements.)