1906 ~ 2003
Edwin J. Skeen died
December 14, 2003 at the Lakeview Hospital in Bountiful, Utah. He was 97 years of age, having been born Jan. 2, 1906.
He was educated at Stewart Training School on the University of Utah Campus, Stanford University, and received his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California at Berkeley where he met and, on June 11, 1930, married Hazel Morgan Caldwell. He had two sons, Edwin C. "Ted" (Miriam) and Richard C. (Judith), both of Salt Lake City, Utah. He had 15 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Hazel, and one grandchild. He is survived by a sister, Marion S. Merrill.
Ed, as he was known, began practicing law during the depression in 1929, helping people in need from losing their houses, land, and other assets. He was one of the founding members of the Utah State Bar in 1931 and, at the time of his passing, was one of the oldest living members of the Bar. He developed an interest in water law, became the third Assistant Attorney General in the state of Utah, and participated in the development of the water laws in the state of Utah. He later became a lawyer with the Bureau of Reclamation, Solicitors Office, where he was involved in several reclamation projects, including Glen Canyon Dam, the Colorado River Compact, and the Bear River Compact. In the late 1950s he left the federal government and established his legal practice with his father, J. D. Skeen. He was instrumental in the formation of the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District and served as outside counsel for several years thereafter. In 1982 he joined the firm of Van Cott, Bagley, Cornwell & McCarthy and later retired at the age of 90 to devote more time to caring for his wife whom he adored. He was an active member of the Bonneville Ward.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, Dec. 22, 2003, at 12:00 p.m. at the Bonneville Stake Center, 1535 E. Bonneview Drive (1050 S). Friends may call on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2003, between the hours of 6-8 p.m., at Larkin Sunset Lawn, 2350 E. 1300 S., and at the Bonneville Stake Center, one hour prior to the service. The interment will be in the Larkin Sunset Lawn Cemetery.