Obituary: James Burnham Skidmore

James Burnham Skidmore 6/9/1919 ~ 3/26/2005 James Burnham Skidmore, 85, has accepted a call beyond mortality. He was born June 9, 1919 in Logan, Utah to George Willis Skidmore and Mary Louise Burnham, seventh of 11 children. He served a mission for the LDS Church in the Northwest/British Columbia Missions. He was active in missionary work his whole life and looked forward to continuing those efforts in the hereafter. He served in the Army during World War II, in India and Burma, specializing in communications and very early smart bombs. James married the beautiful Zara Bybee of Smithfield, Utah in the Salt Lake Temple and they had four children: Craig (m. Sharlene Soper), Lorie (m. Kevin Call), Randy (m. Lorretta Rickert) and Karen (m. Will Rackliffe). He graduated in Electronics Engineering from USU and spent his career developing sonar and communications for the Navy; and Atlas and Centaur missiles for General Dynamics. His life was spent in service and devotion, to God, family and country. He served many years as a stake, genealogy and temple missionary. He was kind, patient and long-suffering. He was loved and admired by those who knew him. He had a special love for babies and the sight of a baby could bring a smile to his face, even on his death bed. While we will miss him, we have confidence that he is moving on to serve others in a better place. He is survived by his wife and all his descendants, including 20 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Services Monday, April 4th at 11 a.m., viewing at 10, at the Brookshire Ward, 1325 West, 5550 South, Taylorsville, UT. Viewing Sunday from 6-8 p.m. at Memorial Estates Funeral Home, 5850 S. 900 E, Murray. Burial at Murray City Cemetery.