William Skinner

William “Bill” Skinner died peacefully at the age of 93 on September 19, 2024, at home in Tennessee. 

Bill was born on April 29, 1931, in Holyoke, MA to William Skinner and Margaret Bottomley Hope. He is survived by his children Jim (Monica) Tuohy, Cathy (Charlie) Cassidy, Fran Miller, Peg (Walt) Houk, Diane (Kevin) Bickel, Jane (Michael) Ravey, and Bill Skinner; 18 grandchildren; and his sister Sally Hart. He is preceded in death by his wife Frances McDermott Skinner, son Tom Tuohy, daughter Maryann Tuohy Murphy, grandson Logan Miller, and sister Peggy Armistead. 

Bill is remembered as being kind and humble with a happy-go-lucky spirit. He had a mischievous sense of humor and was well-known for playing practical jokes, at which no one laughed harder than himself.

Bill was an avid chess, backgammon, and bridge player. His family loved his playful distractionary antics and listening to his running commentary while playing games. 

He started his career on Wall Street but found his true passion in owning a little sporting goods store aptly named Skinners for Sports. Anyone who entered the store was greeted with a warm welcome and “quick chat” with Bill while he was stringing tennis racquets. Getting sporting equipment or being fitted for back-to-school sneakers in the Yankee Stadium seats was a rite of passage for Chappaqua kids in the 70s and 80s, where “the store” became a community anchor. 

After retiring from the business, Bill continued to be curious and jumped into a wide range of new hobbies. As activities piqued his interest, you may have found yourself the recipient of a keepsake quilt, wine bottle holder, or golf club coat rack. 

Bill was the father of 9 but had room in his heart for all. He played the neighborhood Santa, organized the annual Greeley 10k Run, enticed people to donate blood by hosting a Bloody Mary party, and became famous for launching a tradition of inviting anyone who visited the family home to sign the kitchen wall. He made friends with everyone he met and influenced generations of families with his generosity, optimism, and enormous sense of fun. 

They broke the mold when they made Bill Skinner. His memory will live on in the hearts of his family and the wide net of friends and loved ones he made during his life.

A celebration of life will be held in the spring in Milford, CT. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Bill’s honor, to Vanderbilt Bridge Club (www.bridgewebs.com/Vanderbilt) located at 85 White Bridge Road, Nashville, TN 37205.