January 12, 1945 - October 16, 2020
Peter Jerard Skeffington was born to James Skeffington and Mary McPartland Skeffington on January 12, 1945 in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Ireland. He was the youngest of four children including sisters Margaret Kane, Maureen Wall (deceased) and Collette Hold. Peter and his family migrated to the USA after VE Day in 1945. They settled in the NYC and lived primarily in Brooklyn but also Staten Island and New Jersey. He attended St. Leonard’s High School and Manuel High School in Brooklyn and graduated in June, 1963. That summer, he tried to walk onto the University of Oklahoma Football Team, but ended up enlisting in the USMC instead. He completed recruit training in San Diego on November 27th, 1963 and returned to Brooklyn in time for Christmas. He was employed at General Motors in Manhattan for a few years and spent his free time with friends at Coney Island, Rockaway Beach and the Jersey Shore. Then he headed to Minnesota and began his career in the Logistics Division at 3M Company in St. Paul, MN where he was employed for 30 years. He met his future wife, Julie Gerhart, in Bloomington, MN in 1976 and they were married in 1980 in St. Paul. Peter and Julie had three children, James (Jim), Anne Marie (Disney) and Hillary. The family moved to Loveland, CO, in 1997 where they raised their young family.
Peter was a natural athlete with a great sense of the court or the field beginning in the streets of Brooklyn with stick ball, swimming for St. Leonard’s High School, moving onto a brief stint in Oklahoma for football, playing softball, hand ball, racquetball, tennis, golf, skiing and any other sport in which he had a chance to participate. His greatest loves were handball and tennis. He also finished four marathons in Minnesota and several 10Ks. He loved to work out. He also loved to ‘coach’ his children on the various teams they played on, often offering unsolicited advice which was usually right on the mark. His children grew to value his advice and often requested it. While his children were members of the Crimson Regiment Marching Band at LHS from 2001 through 2010, he was an active parent Band Booster and made many good friends through all the competitions. Although quiet in nature, he was very thoughtful and people listened when he spoke. He loved to talk politics and sports and ‘solve the world’s problems’ over a coffee and a donut or bagel with his friends.
His Irish roots were very strong and his family traveled there by ship a few times visiting aunts, uncles and cousins. He continued traveling there (via air!) with his children and wife and have many special memories from those visits. On one trip, they visited Galway and lodged at The Skeffington Arms Hotel and dined at The Skeff Pub.
Peter is survived by his wife, Julie, his three children and spouses, Jim and Dana Skeffington, Anne Marie and Scott Disney and future granddaughter and Hillary Skeffington; two sisters, Margaret Kane and Collette Hold and many nieces and nephews as well as many cousins in New York and Ireland. He is predeceased by his mother and father, sister Maureen (Skeffington) Wall and brothers-in-law Joseph Hold, Mike Kane and David Wall.
Peter passed away in Loveland on October 16th from the complications of Parkinson’s Disease. Family and friends may visit www.kibbeyfishburn.com to share memories or leave a message of condolence for the family. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Parkinson’s of the Rockies in his name. A funding (donation) page has been established in his honor. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/peter-skeffington
