Stephen Whitefield Sykes (1 August 1939 – 24 September 2014) was a Church of England bishop and academic specialising in divinity.
He served as an Honorary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Durham during his time as head of St John's College and in retirement.
Sykes was born on 1 August 1939 in Bristol, England; his father was principal of one of the city's theological colleges.
He graduated from the University of Cambridge with a first class Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree 1961.
[10] From 1999 to 2014, when he was head of St John's College and during retirement, he served as an honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of Durham.
In addition to serving as dean of St John's College, Sykes was a member of the Faculty of Divinity at the University of Cambridge.
Their son, Richard, is a barrister and both daughters, Joanna and Juliet, trained as teachers.