Date of Death: March 11, 2023
Service Details
A memorial Mass will be held on Saturday, March 25, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Three Rivers. Visitation will be held at the church prior to the service beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Obituary Notice
On Saturday, March 11, 2023, Linda Jo Skipski, surrounded by her family and few close friends, passed away peacefully, but unexpectedly, from complications due to cancer. She was sixty-six. Born to Curtis and Marcella Stewart in Muskegon, MI, Linda grew up in North Muskegon and graduated in 1974. She then attended Muskegon Community College, and graduated from Western Michigan University in 1978, with a bachelor’s degree specializing in sociology, criminal justice, and art.
After graduation, she accepted a position at the Alpena County Department of Social Services, providing counseling and placement services to delinquent teenagers. Linda dedicated her career to social work & foster care where she positively impacted many people. So many have reached out with their personal stories after hearing about her death! After relocating to Three Rivers early in her career she held several positions in Cass and St. Joseph counties. In 2019, Linda retired from the Michigan Department of Human Services in St. Joseph as a Children’s Services Supervisor.
In October of 1980 she was united in marriage to the love of her life, Randall Eugene Skipski. They were married for nearly 34 years before Randy’s death in 2014.
Linda was active as a Girl Scout leader for many years, becoming a second mom to many young girls. Linda loved her many pets over the years and enjoyed quilting/sewing/needlepoint, making wonderful projects as her legacy to others. She loved keeping tabs on her friends and family through Facebook in recent years and liked to relax in her pool with her family, friends and neighbors.
Linda was best known for her easy and radiant smile, her caring support of her kids (her own and the many unofficial ones), support of the TR Wildcats, her love of Disney and warm tropical weather, her openness and ability to chat with anyone, and her pleasant demeanor to all. Even during her cancer treatments being poked and prodded, and even on the day of her death, she was always noted as being “so pleasant”!
Linda is survived by her daughter Courtney, son Tyler (Britnea Auerbach), sister Joni Reese (Timothy), and nieces Delanie Mengwasser (Donnie) and Kylie Schmidlkofer (Nicholas) and sister-in-law Janet Bugai. Linda was preceded in death by her beloved Randall, and parents Curtis and Marcella Stewart and Mother-in-law Catherine Skipski. She leaves behind many families and friends she has touched throughout her life and will miss her greatly.
Additional Information
Donations in memory of Linda may be directed to St. Joseph County Animal Rescue Fund (PO Box 593, Centreville, MI 49032) or Girl Scouts of the USA (online at girlscouts.org).
Please Leave Your Condolences
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She was an amazing woman and still with us in all she has taught us. Was my Girl Scout leader for many year and I love every minute of it.
Thank you, Linda, for being such a super great foster care worker to me, you were one of kind. I greatly appreciate all your best interest for serving the foster care system as Hero caseworker!!!!
Beautiful eyes reveal her Soul. Love to her family and friends.
Dear Courtney and Tyler
We are very sorry for your loss. Your mom was a lovely lady. Sending prayers and hope for peace and comfort to you and your family.
Thom and Mary
She was a gift to so many, a true life line. So sorry we can’t attend. We’ll be in Florida as Eric gets married. Hugs to you.
Linda’s picture keeps her personal attitude alive in our memories. Linda was a caring person to all and Linda was a treasure to all who knew her. Our blessings to Linda’s family.
I have known Linda since she was a child. Her dad and my husband became fast friends when David began teaching at North Muskegon Elementary. It is not surprising that Linda turned out to be the wonderful person she was because her parents were wonderful people. I taught school for 2 1/2 years in North Muskegon before leaving to start a family. After the birth of my second son I often thought about going back but in my heart I knew I did not have enough of what was needed to be a good mom to my own children and give my students all they needed too. Linda, on the other hand, always had more than enough. She was a wonderful mom to her own children and gave that same kind of love and care to other children who were in desperate need of a smile, big hug or just someone to listen to their troubles. We reconnected again a few years ago on Facebook and she was so easy to talk to. I truly feel blessed to have known her, her parents and her sister.
Linda was truly one of a kind. Very genuine and caring. So many people benefited from her work in Social Work. She was a great mentor and friend!
Hi sweet Linda there’s so many good memories doing foster care with you and being a foster parent and you having so much love in so much patience for all those children used to bring to my home and then we remain friends after that we love you and will dearly miss you give my son Brandon a big hug for me God bless
So many memories . . . too many to mention here. Linda and Randy were my first neighbors when I moved back to Three Rivers in the 1980s. Even though we both moved elsewhere, we remained “neighbors in our hearts”. I’ll always miss you, Linda. Our periodic lunches will remain in my most recent memories. You will always remain a significant member of my Tribe.