Obituary of Richard Henry Skellie

Richard Henry Skellie, age 68, passed away peacefully on Friday, March 16, 2012 at home surrounded by his family after a 14-month battle with cancer. Born on February 18, 1944, in Cambridge, NY, he was the youngest child of the late Walter and Bertha Skellie. He was predeceased by his parents, his oldest brother Warren Skellie and oldest sister, Wilma Jilek and her husband Dick. After graduating from Greenwich Central School, Richard joined his brothers on the home farm. In 1963, he married Sherry Lee Bain, and shortly after, purchased what became Richland Farm, just three miles up Skellie Road from the family homestead. A life spent in agriculture, Richard owned the dairy farm for almost 40 years. In 1979, he became the General Manager of EBAC (Eagle Bridge Agricultural Corporation) which became Capital Tractor, Inc. in 1985. After retiring in 2010, he returned to “play” in the fields helping his nephews, but his Capital Tractor family remained an important part of his life. A very social, outgoing person, Richard loved being surrounded by people of all ages while at work, entertaining at home or visiting local establishments for any meal of the day. He enjoyed celebrating with family and friends, mentoring fellow farmers or businessmen, and supporting local fundraisers. Some of his greatest pleasures were keeping up with the activities of his kids and grandkids. He took great pride in the accomplishments of his family and friends as they achieved their goals. Through the years Richard had a variety of interests including go-cart racing, tractor pulling, watching NFL, NASCAR and golf. He enjoyed playing pitch and helping the grandkids fine tune their pitch-skills. Over the years he prepared many chicken barbeques with Sherry’s special sauce for crowds large and small. Along with his wife Sherry of 49 years, he is survived by his three children; sons, Dean Skellie of Greenwich and Kim (Beth) Skellie of Newark, NY; and a daughter Tammy (John) Skellie-Gilbert of Jackson; five grandchildren, Edith, Jessica and Nathan Skellie, Andrew and Jacob Gilbert; three siblings Donald (Donna) Skellie, Dorothy (Jan) VanWeele and Kenneth (Judy) Skellie; sister-in-laws, Norma Skellie, Gerry (Stretch) Ryder, Kerry (Jerry) Thomas and brother-in-law, Garry (Edyie) Bain; many cousins, nieces, nephews and their families as well as a large circle of friends. The family would like to extend their appreciation to the team at the C. R. Wood Cancer Center at Glens Falls Hospital as well as Washington County Hospice for their ongoing support. Many thanks to Judy Shaw, Martha Patrick, Cheri Wheat and Eileen “Slim” Reid for their care in his final days. An extra special thanks to Jenny Rogers and Sandy Borden whose caring touch and comforting smiles made life easier over the past year for Richard and his family. They have truly become an extension of Skellie family. Family and friends are invited to calling hours at Flynn Bros. Inc. Funeral Home, 80 Main Street, Greenwich, NY from 4-7 pm on Monday, March 19, 2012. There will be a celebration of his life at 11 am on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at the First United Presbyterian Church, West Broadway, Salem with the Rev. Donna Frischknecht-Jackson and Rev. David Simmons officiating. Burial will follow at Greenwich Cemetery. For those wishing to honor Richard’s memory, donations can be sent to the American Cancer Society, 260 Osborne Rd., Loudonville, NY 12211; or Washington County Hospice, 415 Lower Main St., Hudson Falls, NY 12839 . Count your age by friends, not years; count your life by smiles, not tears (unknown author).