Ingrid Klara Ostebo Skidmore

On Friday, May 31, 2024, we lost Ingrid Klara Ostebo Skidmore to a valiant battle with the insidious disease of cancer. Beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt and friend.
Ingrid was born on April 15, 1953 in Highland Park, IL to Gerhard and Gudrun Ostebo, Norwegian immigrants who raised a very American daughter along with her siblings, Erik, Peter (Cindy), Mike and Karin (David Klaskin) at their family home on Old Trail in Highwood. If the stories told from these days are true, life in the Ostebo household was never, ever boring.
In the summer of 1972, Ingrid met the man of her dreams poolside at Sunshine Valley Day Camp. She saw a mystery man across the lawn and said "That's the man I am going to marry". That mystery man turned out to be Bob Skidmore and just as she had foretold, she and Bob were married March 17, 1973 and remained together for the past 51 years. They welcomed Cheri, Jen and Julie, daughters that they taught to be independent, creative, kind people.
Family was always most important to Ingrid and in addition to her own family, her siblings, their spouses and many nieces and nephews were always close to her heart. It was a special privilege to be an honorary grandmother to Alexis, Samantha and Thomas Siurek.
One of Ingrid's passions was public safety and the Fire Protection Community. She worked in Administration at Lake Zurich and Grayslake Fire Departments and most recently as a Board Member of the Lake Villa Fire Protection District. She was also a former member of CERT – South Lake Country Regional Community Response Team.
She cherished the many friendships that she made along the way, from childhood and high school to her Fire Department friends.
Ingrid was an amateur carpenter, consummate DIY'r, expert cook, crafter, seamstress, artist, designer and weather watcher, amongst so many lovely attributes and talents.
We thank all the doctors and nurses that helped us navigate thru this most unwanted journey. Their compassion, guidance, expertise and love will always be with us.
Her family and friends will miss her for the rest of their lives, but want you to know that hers was a life well lived and that we are all the better for knowing her.
Zappos, Amazon, JoAnn's, Home Depot, Target, will also surely be impacted.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, June 8th, 2024 from 10am to 1pm with a Memorial Service to follow at Kelley and Spalding Funeral Home, 1787 Deerfield Rd, Highland Park, IL 60035.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Cancer Society.