Henry J. Skidmore

HENRY JUSTIN SKIDMORE
1914 - 2011
Henry, or Hank to most people who knew him well, was born in Logan, Utah, 26 December 1914
to George Willis Skidmore and Mary Louise Burnham. He was the 5th of 11 children. He passed
quietly in his sleep 20 May 2011.
Henry was raised in Logan and had many wonderful youth experiences (like playing basketball
against the Harlem Globetrotters). He attended West Point Academy for one year and spent two
years in the Eastern States Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He
graduated in Forestry from the Agricultural College (presently Utah State University) in 1941,
and was accepted by the Civil Service to be a range manager. When World War II broke out, his
job was cancelled, so he accepted a job offer from Douglas Aircraft and moved to Long Beach,
California.
While working at Douglas in 1942, he met and married Doris Irene Stephens. They married in
Hollywood, California, 4 September 1943 and spent their honeymoon in Utah in October (for the
deer hunt). Deer hunting was a passion of his for 72 years.
Henry and Doris were sealed in the Logan Utah Temple in October 1951, and lived in Long
Beach until 1953, when they moved to El Segundo, California, until 1976.
Their first three children were born in Long Beach: James Justin Skidmore, born 25 September
1944 married Mary Porter and has two sons and six grandchildren; Janet Skidmore Flinders was
born 3 September 1946 married Skip Flinders (who had three sons and eight grandchildren); Joan
Skidmore Jones born 29 July 1950 was married to C.R. Jones and has one son. Their last child
was born in Inglewood, California: Jerry Wayne Skidmore, born 4 June 1960 married Kimberly
Sorensen and has two daughters and 4 sons.
Deer hunting was not his only passion – fishing was another story. He passed on the love of
nature and the outdoors to not only his family, but to the many Boy Scouts he laboriously worked
with through the years. He and his oldest son went fishing quite often, and even took some of the
grandchildren ice fishing.
When Henry retired in 1975, Doris, Jerry, and he drove to Alaska in their fifth-wheeler and
stayed the whole summer with Jim, who was stationed in Anchorage. In 1976 they found a home
in Mendon, Utah, where they could again enjoy the changing seasons.
The mayor of Mendon appointed Henry as the Justice of the Peace, where he was fair and used
logic in deciding fines, and he even got to perform a few marriages.
Henry was a temple worker for 11 ½ years at the Logan LDS Temple and served in many other
positions in the LDS Church. He was ordained a Seventy by Rulon S. Wells while in the mission
training center in Salt Lake City at the age of 19.
Henry and Doris have enjoyed their many travels to exotic places, including Australia and New
Zealand; Mexico (climbed the pyramids); a Church History/American Heritage tour; and cruises
to Alaska, Caribbean/Panama Canal, Southern tip of South America from Santiago, Chile to
Buenos Aires, Argentina; and England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Netherlands, Amsterdam.
He was proud of the accomplishments of all his children, and particularly enjoyed 16 years of
watching Jim play slow-pitch softball in the Huntsman Senior World Olympics. His stories,
poems, and songs, which he liberally shared with others will be missed.
Funeral services will be held at 12:00 PM on Tuesday, May 24, 2011 in the Mendon Stake Center. A viewing will on Monday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Allen-Hall Mortuary and prior to services on Tuesday from 10:30 to 11:30 AM at the Stake Center. Interment will be in the Mendon City Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.allenmortuaries.net