Robert L. Skinner

ROBERT L. SKINNER, SR., 88 of St. Joseph, MI, died at Lakeland Medical Center, St. Joseph on March 22, 2009. A “Celebration of Life Service” will be held Friday, March 27th, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 3003 Leco Ct, St. Joseph. A public visitation will be held on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. Burial will be held after the service at Riverview Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the United States Navy Memorial Foundation. Those wishing to share a memory or sign the guestbook online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Robert (Bob) was born to David and Gertrude (Owen) Skinner on January 15, 1921 in Shelburn, Indiana. His formative years were spent prior to and during the depression under trying conditions in this small mining and farming community. He was raised by his father and older sister, Lois, when his mother passed at an early age and always regarded her as his maternal guide. Upon graduating from Shelburn High School where he excelled at both basketball and his first love baseball, Bob joined the Civilian Conservation Corp. where he participated in some of the first environmental improvement efforts in U.S. history, planting trees, building fences and clearing fire roads. In November of 1940, Bob joined the US Navy as the United States involvement in the conflict with Germany escalated. He attended the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, graduated, and was assigned to the battleship, USS Arkansas, which was pressed into duty in the North Atlantic escorting cargo ships carrying food and material to Great Britain. In early 1942 Bob requested reassignment to a Destroyer Squadron and graduated as a 1st Class Gunners Mate, being assigned to the newly commissioned USS Aulick which was bound for the Pacific. On March 9, 1943 conducting an anti-submarine patrol in the Coral Sea off of Australia, Bob’s ship ran aground suffering severe damage & with multiple crew injuries. After a refitting in San Francisco, the USS Aulick rejoined action off of Leyte in support of General MacArthur’s beachhead, which had come under attack by Japanese air and sea forces. While serving to protect the bombardment fleet, Bob’s ship was attacked by suicide attack planes and the gun mount and crew he commanded just 2 days before being transferred to another gun, took a direct hit where all hands were lost, including 31 killed, and 64 wounded & fully 1/3 the ship’s crew. The USS Aulick was able to eventually make its way back to San Diego for repairs, before returning to assist in the invasion of Okinawa, closing out the war saving US Air Force air crews who were forced to ditch their planes returning from bombing raids on Japan. His ship’s war experience and the close knit crew who had been through so much formed the crucible in which Bob’s adult life was forged & building the closest of brotherhoods with men who were thrown into the most violent, unimaginable horror war could produce. After his discharge from the Navy, Bob remained in contact with his former shipmates and for 30 years regularly attended USS Aulick reunions in cities throughout the US, many of which his family were honored to attend as guests. Bob moved to the Buchanan, Michigan area after the war where five of his seven sisters had relocated. In Niles, Michigan he met the love of his life, Charlotte Ann Nyberg, to whom he was married on January 27, 1956 in Crowne Point, Indiana, and with whom he raised 3 adoring children. Bob spent the early part of his working life with Studebaker Automobile company in South Bend Indiana, then moved to Clark Equipment in Benton Harbor from which he retired after 27 years of line management. His “second career” started shortly thereafter when he began driving for Whirlpool Corporation, a job he dearly loved with a group of folks he considered family. Anyone who rode with Bob became his friend, and he could always be counted on to arrive on time through the worst that Michigan winters could deliver. At the age of 88, Bob worked until the day before his passing. He was passionate about baseball, and thankfully his athletic ability jumped a generation to his grandsons who are both ballplayers – a fact of which he was incredibly proud. He loved to fish for Walleye and Bluegill at his cottage in Wisconsin, and hunt pheasants with his stubborn beagles and adoring sons. He loved the St. Louis Cardinals and could always be counted on to give his two Cubs fan sons a hard time, but always with a small amount of compassion! He loved the Chicago Blackhawks and was planning on attending the last game of the season this year against the rival Red Wings. Papa will have a great seat for this one and we’ll be up in the third section with him. Bob’s greatest contribution was to his family. The closeness that he had with his own sisters and brothers during the trying times of the Great Depression, and his experience away from loved ones during war time – provided him with a deep, abiding appreciation for what was truly important in life. Caring for all people and showing it through deeds not words, extending a hand of help to those in need, not taking a day for granted and taking full advantage of the time he had on earth, was his unspoken approach to life and the legacy he left to his family. Bob loved his wife, children, grandchildren, and siblings with all his heart and he will be dearly missed. Robert is survived by his loving wife, Charlotte, his daughter, Martha (Keith) VanderWeide of St. Joseph, MI and his two sons, Robert (Birgit) Skinner of Coloma, MI and David (Gigi) Skinner of St. Joseph, MI. He is also survived by four grandchildren, Zach, Josh VanderWeide, Sam and Chelle Skinner. Also surviving are five sisters, Lila Sullivan, Lil (Mike) Pridavka, Jean Schneider, all of Buchanan; Muriel of Plantation, Fla; and Emma Lee Huggett of Charlotte, NC. Robert was preceded in death by two sisters, Lois and Mary, and one brother, Loren.