John Michael Nauyokas

john nauyokas

June 5, 1981 ~ May 22, 2026

Born in: Lewiston, Maine
Resided in: Portland, Maine

John Michael Nauyokas, 44, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, May 22, 2026.

Born in Lewiston on June 5, 1981, John attended Poland schools as a child. He worked in Portland in the food service industry, most recently at Maine Medical Center.

John was a loving father, son, and brother known for his quiet kindness, thoughtful spirit, and love of art and literature.

He is survived by his son, Evan; his mother, Opal; his sister, Katie; and his stepfather, Shaun. He was predeceased by his father, Michael J. Nauyokas.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made to the Westbrook Animal Refuge to support John’s love of animals.

Services will be held at North Deering Congregational Church, 1364 Washington Ave, Portland on June 12, at 11:00am with a reception to follow.

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Charities

The family greatly appreciates donations made to these charities in John Michael Nauyokas 's name.

Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland

P.O. Box 336

Westbrook, ,

ME

04098

Memories Timeline

Guestbook

  1. I’m so sorry, John was one of a kind. He was quiet but I know he was always paying attention. He could be a thoughtful gift giver. He loved Oscar and animals, he took care of my guinea pig a few times because I trusted him. He was funny, he told me several times he wanted to try stand up comedy. I have some of his jokes written down. He liked doing elaborate practical jokes. I often didn’t know what his motivations were. Many times I would have loved to know what was going on in his head. He liked psychology and spirituality. He had a gift for technology. He probably could have used his skills for bad but he wasn’t that type of guy. I liked that he was always true to himself he didn’t put on an act for anyone.

  2. Johnny I will miss our weekly texts conversations, the dry humor and having short ribs with you at Christmas. Your presence will be deeply missed by many friends in Portland. John loved eggs, cats, regularly getting tattooed, peanut butter and chocolate desert, making people laugh. I remember a favorite joke he played on many including myself. Taking butter packets out of the wrapper and pretending it was cheese. He got me every single time with the practical jokes. I will always cherish the Spotify playlist we made together and played regularly on our shifts at work. Dan and I told him every time we saw him we loved him and I know that he loved us. I will miss my special friend. We love you Johnny!!

  3. Johnny was quiet though a goofball in his own ways whenever I would go have a bite with my friends or by myself at Mash Tun in his years working there. He made me sweet treats and snacks and always treated me like I was apart of the family. He always told me funny stories too. I’ll forever appreciate and miss those times. I’m so sorry to hear that he has passed away, he will be greatly missed

  4. Johnny will be missed! One of my favorite memories of Johnny was the time he brought the hard boiled egg machine into Mash and we both marvelled at how great it worked! Makes me smile. I will miss spending Christmas nights with him, playing games and being goofy! Gone too soon. I hope you found peace.

  5. Johnny and I got along before I ever worked with the guy. He had a quick wit and a hilarious sense of humor. We used to work a Sunday double together so we would be together every Sunday, for what turned out to be a couple of years, for 12+ hours. We would joke about it being church, since neither of us was super religious. People say that the worst thing about the good old days is you don’t know when you’re in them. Him and I knew exactly how much we enjoyed working together and would tell each other constantly that we knew what we had when we had it. That’s rare. We had so much fun together. One thing I will always have is the Spotify playlists that we made together for our shifts. He would listen to our 80s playlist almost constantly and we both continued to add to it even after working together and seeing each other a lot. Johnny was loved by a lot of people whether he wanted to admit it or not. He made a positive impact on the people around him. We all have our faults and he sure could be stubborn, about the funniest things sometimes, but I’ll never forget the good old days that I had with Johnny.

  6. Dear Katie and family!
    We were so very sad to hear this news on the loss of your brother!!
    Our thoughts and prayers being sent to you all!
    May the Good Lord give you strength and courage during this difficult time!
    😔🙏❤️
    Helen Cloutier Belisle

    • Johnny wasn’t always the easiest person to get to know. He was someone you had to earn, and when he finally let you in, even just for a moment, it felt like a privilege.
      I’ll never forget the day at Mash when Britt and I somehow landed on the cats versus dogs debate and Johnny just came alive. The phrases he came up with, the stories that followed… I laugh so hard! That was the thing about Johnny. When he opened up, there was no one funnier in the room.
      When he broke his arm and our little community rallied around him, I hope he could feel how much people genuinely cared. That kind of love doesn’t show up for just anyone.
      The last time I saw him was Christmas, and I didn’t know then that it would be the last time. Having him there felt like a gift, and I suppose that’s exactly what he was.
      Rest easy, Johnny. You were one of a kind, and the people who really knew you are so lucky they did.

  7. TO THE FAMILY: My deepest sympathy to you. “Many of those asleep in the dust of the earth will wake up.” Daniel 12:2.

  8. I got to be John’s tattooer for about 15 years. We had a lot of fun, covered a lot of space. Each time I could tell he felt a bit more confident, a bit closer to the vision he had of himself, and Im glad to have been part of that transformation. He always sat tough, never used any kind of numbing agent.
    I never knew him outside my workspace, our only interactions were during tattooing, about 2 or 3 hours, every other week. But that was hundreds of hours.
    He was kind and gentle, never wanted to bother anyone, just wanted people to know he sat through some of the toughest spots to get tattooed, and it wasnt so bad.
    Ill miss you man. See you again at the end.

  9. Everyone, I am so sorry for the loss of John. I worked with him in the kitchen at Maine Medical Center. He was a good friend to me. I will miss him. You are all in my prayers. May he rest in peace.


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