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John Skeels Obituary
Beloved John Rolfe Skeels passed on to eternal life peacefully on Wednesday July 17, 2024 surrounded by family. He is survived by his wife Maria Guia "Margie" Skeels. They were married on March 24, 1995 in New York.
John was born on March 24, 1949 to Rose Adelaide and Alfred William Skeels, the second of five children. His siblings are June Rosemary Coleman, Lesley Elizabeth Scannell, David William Skeels and Kathryn Anne Brand.
John's big sister June remembers their earlier years growing up together. John was quiet and shy but full of fun and mischief. John's younger sister shared that they grew up in the bleak post war era, Britain still reeling from the Blitz and the devastation that the second world war had caused. But life was not bleak for the Skeels as their beloved parents raised them in a secure happy home.
At 5 years old, John attended primary school at The Bell in Upminster, Essex. At 12 years old, John went to high school in Brentwood School where he excelled and took flying lessons. In 1967, John was a brilliant scholar in Pembroke College Oxford University and studied Chinese, and later earned MA degree (Oxon). He also studied in People's University in Beijing after the 'Ping-Pong diplomacy'.
In 1972, John started his career with Computer Analysts Programmers (CAP) and was sub-contracted to Barclays Bank, British Airways, Samuel Montague Commercial Bank in London, and CitiBank in Paris. In 1983, he moved to New York to work with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Headquarters. In UNDP, he joined the team in IT /Management Information System to look after the functioning of Treasury computer programs and supported the Annual Pledging Conference when Donor Countries pledge their Contributions to UNDP for the developing countries worldwide.
In 1992, John moved to Basel, Switzerland to join the IT Department of the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) where Central Bankers like Mr. Greenspan attended high-level meetings. John kept his hobbies like photography and developed his photos a bus ride away in BIS Club. He enjoyed skiing with colleagues in Davos and more. He returned to UNDP/HQ in New York in 1997. Later in 2001, he joined Computer Associates (CA) located close to the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center where he retired in 2005.
John was not "all work and no play". At a young age, John listened to his tiny transistor radio to the Alistair Cooke's "Letter from America" program (a verbal account of weekly news in USA. Once finished, his brother David would tune in to the popular music of the 60s.
John had a good sense of humor and enjoyed some of the more oddball British comedy programmes such as Monty Python's Flying Circus, The Goodies, Fawlty Towers and Benny Hill. He had a wide range of interests and talents including: singing, listening to music, going to concerts, playing the piano, keyboard, accordion, harmonica. He loved astronomy, and even built his own telescope during the first moon landings in 1969, and stayed out in the cold nights to look at the stars in Upminster, the Poconos, and Lansdale. He had a passion for electronics and has automated lots of lighting. His love for photography, digital photography-gigapixeling, videography-even using drones. He made films/videos for amusement, entertainment, fun & and big family events like weddings for posterity, and ending with an archive. He loved making family videos, with special attention to Kath--his youngest sister, as well as his nieces and nephew. He also filmed pilgrimages to the Holy Land, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain. He has a YouTube account with videos including one about the Twin Towers on 9/11 filmed from rooftop of Dag Hammarskjold Tower where he and his wife lived since 2001. He refused to receive money for the many "views" tallied for that film footage when he was offered.
He had an amazing aptitude for difficult languages and travelled extensively to over 25 countries, mostly in Europe, Asia and the Pacific, including The Holy Land, Philippines, Taiwan, Samoa, China & Russia, Andorra and Liechtenstein. In India and Switzerland, John was joined by his dearest brother David where they had so much fun, as John brought his suitcase filled with "Mars bars and baked beans". In the last decade, John enjoyed taking the Queen Mary crossings from New York to Southampton to be with his Mum, siblings and their spouses-Howard, John (RIP), Frances, Leslie-his much-loved nephews and nieces, and great nephews and great nieces, relatives and friends.
Since 1999, John volunteered with Margie in Holy Family Church-UN Parish, STPAULS Publishing with the Society of Saint Paul (where he met the Pauline priests, religious brothers & sisters, Precy Palad & other IOLA members and lay cooperators), Association of Pauline Cooperators with the Daughters of Saint Paul, San Lorenzo Ruiz Global Ministry. Those times were precious moments and were spiritually rewarding, and allowed the fulfillment of their Baptismal promises which enriched the heart of their Christian lives in the Archdiocese of New York and in the global Pauline Family founded by Blessed Father James (Giacomo) Alberione in Alba, Italy.
John and Margie moved to Lansdale, Pennsylvania to retire four years ago after his Mum passed on to eternal life. He gave his all to make the house fit and lovely inside and outside-a bright and comfortable dwelling. He did loads of gardening, sowed grass seeds and planted daffodils, roses, forsythia, tulips and placed hanging baskets with an array of flowers. He enjoyed driving the lawn mower without end.
His recent battle with cancer came as a surprise but he fought it courageously and valiantly. Fr. Joseph Bongard, Pastor of St. Helena Parish in Lansdale prayed over him in his last confinement at Einstein Hospital. Fr. Gerald Murray, Pastor of Holy Family Church-UN Parish and Fr. Joseph Chacko, Parochial Vicar prayed over him on June 9, 2024. On July 4, 2024, Fr. Jose Lopez and Fr. Miguel concelebrated Holy Mass in our home and John received the Sacraments. John Rolfe Skeels entered eternal life on the morning of July 17, 2024 after renewing his Baptismal promises saying "I do." On the same afternoon, John's body was prayed over by Fr. Tony Bautista, SSP from the Immaculate Conception and Assumption Parish in Tuckahoe, NY in the presence of his companions. The mission of John has been accomplished. May God grant John Rolfe Skeels eternal rest, peace and let perpetual light shine upon him, through Jesus Divine Master, the Way, Truth and Life, through the intercession of Mary, Mother of God and Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Amen. Thanks be to God. God gives. God takes. Blessed be God forever!
Family will receive relatives and friends on Wednesday, July 24th at 12:00 noon followed by John's Mass of Christian Burial at 1pm at Our Lady of Czestochowa Shrine, 654 Ferry Road, Doylestown, PA 18901 (enter through the cemetery gates on your right. Follow the road to the end and the red cemetery chapel is on your left. Arrangements by Donahue Funeral Home,
215-348-9421.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Robert Stewart Parker
August 2, 2024
John Skeels entered the Main School Brentwood School, founded by Sir Anthony Browne in 1557, as a Foundation Scholar in 1960, the same year I entered with a Direct Grant place, and during our academic career, we followed parallel paths.
In 1961, we found ourselves in the Arts Stream, taking up Classical Greek and continuing with Latin, subjects which defined each of our lives thereafter.
The years together in the Arts Stream were the foundation of an enduring friendship that lasted through John's life.
We were often paired together for experiments in Chemistry, and even though we both tried our best, our conclusions were usually very different from the rest of the class, yet you could not have found any other pairing more eager to succeed.
After O Levels in 1964, we both entered the Classical VIth, under the tutelage of Dennis Riddiford, our inspirational Head of Classics, and how very much we all owe to him and the rest of the brilliant Classics staff.
We studied Ancient Greek, Latin, and Ancient History, with two Subsidiary Subjects, and miscellaneous other classes designed to broaden the minds of all the VIth form. John opted to learn German, a characteristic choice, as John was for ever attracted to learning difficult languages!
In the summer of 1965, we both went on a Classical VIth camping holiday, to walk along sections of Hadrian's Wall, and to visit places connected to it. Unfortunately the weather was foul for the entire fortnight. It rained and it rained and it rained, and ìt was quite impossible to get properly warm or dry.
Thankfully we were both among those in the one truly waterproof tent, when other tents became waterlogged, and their occupants had to decamp and sleep in the minibus, which steamed up appallingly. A holiday never to be forgotten and never to be repeated! I don't know if the Master in charge of that expedition ever tried to offer it again!
In 1967 we both went up to Oxford University, to read Classics, John to Pembroke College, and I to Trinity, but we still saw a lot of each other, and often discussed some of the problems in Classics. John bravely took on the poetry of Pindar for his Special Author, a difficult poet with no commentary written for about a century, so not much help readily available for that option.
After Honour Moderations in Classics, 13 difficult papers, two a day with only the middle Sunday free, where John did the best of all the students from Pembroke, he changed course, and turned to Oriental Studies, Chinese with Japanese subsidiary!
Imagine my surprise in the summer of 1973, when a postcard from him arrived, post marked Beijing Post Office.
China was just opening up to the West, and John was one of the first to visit. He told me that people came out into the street to look at him, the first European that many of them had ever seen.
After University, our lives went in very different directions, with John going into Computer Programming, yet another difficult language, which took him all over Europe and ultimately to the UN, in New York, where he met and married his beloved Margie.
Yet on his visits to the UK, John would always make contact, and we would meet for a meal and a good catch up, and after their marriage, Margie would of course come too. I remember one special Christmas where we all went together to Midnight Mass at an absolutely delightful old church.
On another occasion Margie came on a Summer School Latin course I used to teach at Gladstone's Library, in Flintshire, North Wales, but only about 7 miles from Chester. John didn't need beginner's Latin, so occupied himself with his own research in the wonderful Library, and the three of us managed to take several meals together in the "Food for Thought" dining room.
Not many years ago he brought Margie to Oxford where they visited Newman College, at Littlemore, and were up very early to celebrate May Morning in Oxford, with Mediaeval Hymns sung at 6.00am from the Tower of Magdelen College, nowadays with an excellent sound system for those listening below.
His illness and passing have come as a shock, and as a major landmark.
John was a quiet, shy, scholarly man, always pleasant and friendly, and full of fun, once one came to know him. Once you were a friend, you were a friend for life, and whenever we met up, however many years apart, we were able to take up exactly where we had left off the previous time of meeting.
May his soul pass into perpetual peace, light, and rest, in mystical union with God, through Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Precy Palad
July 28, 2024
John was an amiable person, interested in encountering people as they are. When he saw my little prayerbooklet "I Am" he immediately gave an encouraging remark.. "this is a nice little book." I felt very proud and happy.
John, you will be cherished and included in my prayers. Rest in the loving embrace of our Lord whom you loved and served in your own unique way. Hasta la vista
Kathy and Phil Donahue
July 24, 2024
It was our personal honor to help the Skeels family during such a difficult time. We will keep them in our prayers.
Fr. Matthew Roehrig SSP
July 24, 2024
I remember John who worked with his wife for our Pauline Family. I was also on pilgrimage to Poland several years ago. A wonderful and blessed man.
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Ginny Hayes
July 24, 2024
I met John when we worked together at Citibank in Paris back in the '80s. There was always lots of after work socialising and he was always keen to join in the fun. We used to do a lot of partying in those days and he got to know lots of my friends. They remember what a lovely gentle person John was. He came on Citibank ski trips with us and I think that is when he took his first steps on the nursery slopes. I also have great memories of my trip to New York when he showed me round the UN and took me to visit all the sights and get to experience a bit of New York life. He made a great video of the trip for me to take back home.
Although we met up from time to time on his visits to the UK with Margie, with modern technology we were able to keep in touch over the years and I enjoyed getting emails showing his great sense of humour and telling me about their life in the US. It is so sad that he has been taken from us too soon.
Heather Coleman
July 24, 2024
Our beloved 'Uncle John'...I have so many happy memories of visiting all my relatives in Essex, and as children, Anita (my sister) and I were always excited to see what fun things Uncle John had planned for our visit! He never let us down! He always was so clever, talented, fun and creative, with a wonderful sense of humour. Thanks to John's enthusiasm and expertise with the camera, there exists a treasure trove of beautiful family memories and hilarious videos that would not exist if it hadn't been for him.
John will be much missed by the whole family. However, `love endures´...and we shall continue to love him and remember him with fond memories forevermore xx
Rachel Berreen (nee Skeels)
July 23, 2024
I have so many wonderful memories of my Uncle John. An exceptionally kind, generous, fun and patient man who was devoted to his family. My cousins and I all loved visiting our Nan and Grandad's house on a Sunday (John's parents) and if Uncle John was there it was always extra fun as he would lay on magic tricks, film us re-enacting TV shows in a mock set made of cardboard boxes which we took delight in playing back to parents/aunts/uncles later that day, play songs on Nan's piano - our favourite being "The Entertainer" and taking us to the local park to name but a few. Uncle John was always so patient and tolerant of our wants and wishes.
Uncle John was also extremely supportive of our own talents, often coming along to school concerts when he was back in the UK, music performances and my equestrian business when I established that in 2014. Wherever Uncle John went he captured cherished memories on his camcorder for us to treasure, the most recent being my wedding in 2019 which my husband Adam and I are eternally grateful for.
We are sending love and peace to Uncle John's wife, my lovely Aunty Margie at the very sad and difficult time. Rest in eternal peace our lovely Uncle John xx
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