Obituary: Jim Skidmore

Jim Skidmore 8/28/46 ~ 4/12/06 While laughing through excruciating pain, Jim kept his nurses groaning, begging them to "send in the clowns because the whips and chains weren't working." But lung cancer got the better of James Gary Skidmore on April 12th as, ironically, his Passover began at sundown. Born on August 28, 1946 in Venicia, CA, he was raised in Concord and took a degree from Mt. Diablo College. As editor of the local newspaper, his service in the US Army, from 1966 to 1968, was all spent on the Fort Lewis Washington base, after he angered his superiors by writing and publishing anti-Vietnam war articles. A mail carrier for 33 years, he never got the opportunity to go postal, much to his chagrin, but he did manage to raise four boys by his first wife, Janette Botehlo. They divorced in 1992. He married Marjorie Smith Rolly on July 13, 1996 and they were later sealed in the LDS Temple, or as Jim like to put it, with a twinkle in his eye, "solomized". Drawing on his own history of overcoming battles with addiction, he was a certified substance abuse counselor serving as a missionary with LDS Family Services Addiction Recovery Program. Survived by wife, sons, Taj, Trevor (Carol), Cory (Kristin) and Troy (Nichol), Noel Cormack (Martha), four stepchildren, 16 grandchildren, sister Meretta Barnes (Scott), and brothers, Bruce (Gwen), and Cornell (Liz). Also survived by extensive collections of DVDs, CDs, comic books, video games, and Goofy memorabilia. A viewing will be held on Easter Sunday, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Butler 7th Ward, 1435 East 7200 South. Funeral Services will be held on Monday, April 17, 2006 at Noon (with viewing from 11:00 to 11:45) at the Ward. Cannon Mortuary funeral directors. A colorful character deserves a colorful obituary. We bid him farewell with the same irreverent humor he gave us day in and day out. "God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference." In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions be made to your favorite charity.