LEWISTON – Steve Hendricks, 85, of Gray, passed away early Saturday evening with his family at his side at Central Maine Medical Center after a short illness.

He was born Dec. 3, 1921, in Brookton, the son of Elmer and Meredith Dudley Hendricks. In 1923, the family moved back to the Hendricks home on Upper Street in Turner. He attended the Lower Street grammar school and then on to Leavitt Institute, where he graduated with the class of 1940.

He worked on P.J. Hinkley Farm for the summer delivering milk and farm products. Later that year he went to work at Central Maine Power until he transferred to Lucas Tree in Portland. In October 1942 he enlisted in the Navy, where he was aboard a cruiser in the Northern Fleet between Europe and South America.

In October 1945 at the end of World War II, he returned home and back to work for Lucas Tree, building transmission lines all over the state of Maine for more than 50 years. In his retirement he worked in his blueberry fields and he had some good crops. He also worked restoring a 1931 Model A Ford like the one he had in high school and was in the 4th of July parade in Turner Center with some of his classmates riding with him, as it was their 50th class reunion also. He was a member of the American Legion Gray Post 86 for 34 years, and a member of the Ashlar Masonic Lodge for 40 years.

He is survived by his most beloved wife, the former Iona Mac Kenzie; two sons, Richard, and his wife, Nancy, of Buxton and Daniel of Minot; three granddaughters, Ellen, Heather and Elissa; eight great-grandchildren; three sisters-in-law, Bernadette Miller of Lewiston, Helen Hendricks of Auburn and Simone Mac Kenzie of Sidney; and many nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his parents; five sisters, Pearl, Emma, Evelyn, June and Ava; one brother, Stanly; and one nephew, Lanny Hendricks.