John Edward "Skip" Bodine

In the tender twilight of a life well-lived, we bid a poetic farewell to John Edward "Skip" Bodine, whose earthly sojourn ceased on February 8, 2024. He, a troubadour at heart, danced through sixty-one seasons, his steps a cadence that echoed across the heartstrings of those he touched.

Born under the brisk Nebraska sky on November 28, 1962, Skip became a minstrel of the mountains, an electrician whose true current flowed through the wilds of nature and the strings of his beloved instruments. He was a Kansas State University alumnus, a multi-instrumentalist virtuoso, orchestrating a symphony of life's simple pleasures.

With the Appalachian Trail as his parchment, Skip inscribed his narrative in the soil of the great American expanse, his footprints a testament to his ascent of life's grand stave-from the rolling prelude in Georgia to Virginia's verdant crescendo. Mt. Rainier's peak bore witness to his zenith, a crescendo of his spirit's ambition.

The ensemble of his existence is composed of the beloved: his duet partner in life, Gilda Bodine; his foundational father, Louis K. Bodine, and the harmonizing Bobbie; his progenitor of melody, John Stuebinger; and his sister, Nancy Krueger, whose shared notes of laughter and love will resonate ad infinitum. Donna L. Bodine, the maternal muse, preceded him into the silent repose.

We convene at The Chapel of Memories in Omaha to celebrate Skip's coda. Don your most joyous garb and let your footsteps be as light as his. In lieu of the ephemeral bloom, consider a donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital-an ode to Skip's enduring harmony.

John "Skip" Bodine, the sylvan bard, the electric luminary, has left the stage, but his melody lingers in the wind, a serenade to those who wander beneath the boughs he so cherished. Rest amongst the stars, dear poet of the peaks, until the universe calls us all to join your eternal chorus.