John F. Skillman Jr.

1934 - 2014

Skillman, John F. Jr. "Jack"

Falmouth, ME: John F. Skillman, Jr. "Jack" age 80, residing in Falmouth, ME died on Monday, December 15, 2014 at the Hospice of Southern, Maine, Gosnell Memorial House in Scarborough, ME related to metastatic bladder cancer. Jack was born on May 16, 1934 in Princeton, New Jersey the only son of John "Johnny" F. Skillman, a.k.a. "Farmer", 3-time United States Professional Squash Champion and head Squash and Tennis coach at Yale University from 1934 - 1975 and Elsie A. (Wright) Skillman, "Mimi" as she was affectionately known by her grandchildren.

Jack lived in New Haven, Connecticut throughout his childhood and attended the New Haven public schools through the ninth grade before he went to the Gunnery School in Washington, CT. After he graduated in 1952 Jack was selected for an International Schoolboy scholarship and spent a year in England as an English-Speaking Union, exchange program student at the King's School, Worcester. While at the King's school Jack excelled at the game of Rugby.

Upon his return Jack entered Yale University as a member of Silliman College and graduated in 1957 with a B.A. in English and in 1958 with a M.A.T. in Teaching. Jack also coached freshman squash & tennis at Yale from 1956-1961.

In August of 1956 Jack married Sally L. Cott who he had met in 1950 at an Episcopal church summer conference for teens at Bucksteep Manor, Becket, MA. Sally and Jack raised three (3) children, Gregory, Mark & Lee and were divorced in 1992.

In 1958, Jack started his teaching and education career and joined the faculty of North Haven High School, North Haven, CT where he taught English and was named chairman of the department in 1961. In 1962 he became an English instructor at the Hopkins Grammar School, New Haven, CT, (now the Hopkins School - founded in 1660) a private, boys, college-prep, day school (now coed). Additionally, in 1964 Jack also became the Director of Admissions at Hopkins.

Jack was selected and became Headmaster (now "Head of School") of the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn, NY and served from 1968-1982. The Packer Collegiate Institute was a preemininent school for girls for much of the latter 19th century that included the establishment of a junior college in 1919 that operated until 1972, when, under the leadership of Jack, the school, "acknowledging the changing financial landscape of private education, … abolished the junior college and became fully coed."

Jack's tenure at Packer played a pivotal and significant role in bringing the school into the 20th century. His leadership accomplishments included an expanded ethnic and racial diversity in student enrollment, hiring new dynamic and talented faculty and expanding the school's dramatic arts programs.

In 1982 Jack became the seventh headmaster of the Harley School in Rochester, NY were he served until 1988. He and his wife Sally purchased a beautiful 130 acre, former farm parcel in Palermo, ME that included 17 acres of active wild blueberry fields where Jack later semi-retired to. They also owned and managed Tobey's General Store for ten years in Palermo, ME.

Once in Maine full time, Jack went on work for five years as a Career Development Specialist at the Training Resource Center (TRC) in Portland, ME, "a non-profit job training and economic development organization that found creative ways to teach essential work competencies and basic education skills to disadvantaged youth in a non-academic, supportive environment." Also during these years Jack worked in affiliation with the U.S. Department of Labor's Career Center, as an Outreach Vocational and Employment counselor assisting Maine's homeless Veteran population.

In the summer of 2006, after the best blueberry crop his Palermo farm had produced and having endured quadruple heart bypass surgery and surviving prostate cancer Jack downsized and moved to his Blueberry Lane, OceanView at Falmouth, Falmouth, ME cottage.

Jack will be remembered for his authenticity, his humor and his contagious personable nature. He was a warm, charismatic, good-hearted and practical man who devoted his life to supporting and teaching others. He always put people and his family first in his pursuit of promoting excellence in all things. He believed strongly in the importance of quality secondary education and endorsed a school and self-improvement ethos that in his own words, "promoted individual and group honesty, perseverance, excellence, responsibility, challenge and human support and acceptance."

Jack was known for making people feel valued and encouraged with his gift of interpersonal conversation and his style of sincere engagement. He was always present, caring and interested. Jack's values were hope, courage, family, friendship, knowledge, responsibility, practicality, generosity, leadership, curiosity, realism, achievement, humility, integrity, purpose, independence and honesty.

Jack most enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, being in the out-of-doors, living in Maine and being by the water. Mark Twain was his favorite American author and he liked playing and watching football, tennis & squash as well as viewing a good movie.

Jack is survived by his former spouse of 35 years Sally (Cott) Skillman of Brunswick, ME and their (3) adult children, Gregory Skillman and his spouse Karen Wentworth, of Gardiner, ME, Mark Skillman of Hyde Park, MA and Lee Skillman and her fiancé Evan Jessen of San Diego, CA. Jack also leaves behind two much-loved grandchildren Aiden Skillman (10) and Liam Skillman (5), sons of Greg & Karen.

Mr. Skillman's cremated remains will be interred in the spring in New Haven, CT at the Grove Street Cemetery following a Celebration of Life, Memorial Service (future date & time to be announced) at the Trinity Church on the Green, New Haven, CT. A Maine memorial service was held on Saturday, December 20, 2014 at OceanView at Falmouth, Falmouth, ME.

If interested in making memorial donations, the following choices are encouraged: The Harley School, Rochester, NY, The Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn, NY, and The Skillman Associates Squash Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT.