Bobbie D. Skillett

Bob D. Skillett, age 52, left this world too soon, unexpectedly, on Aug. 26, 2020, in Cowlitz County, WA. Bob was born March 10, 1968 in Hays, KS. He was the fourth of five children born to Garold and Millie (Legleiter) Skillett. He grew up in Rush Center, KS, working in the family business on the welding/fabrication side of things. He graduated from La Crosse, KS High School in 1986. Anxious to be out on his own, at age 18, he mailed out resumes to hundreds of state parks around the United States. He was willing to clean and assist with repair and construction of park facilities as needed. Soon after, he received a call from Paradise Point State Park in La Center, WA and accepted the job. He packed up some clothes and a tent and headed out to Washington state. Not long after he arrived, he was introduced to Robert Colf. Mr. Colf saw the determination Bob had and ultimately hired him on at Colf Construction. He worked for Colf for about four years and then went back to Kansas to help with the family business and then opened a rock quarry with his dad. In 2004, Bob returned to Washington state and rejoined Colf Construction once again. Over a combined 17 years with Colf, he wore many hats. These included master mechanic, welder, equipment transporter and rock crusher. He later worked for Nutter Corporation for about three years before switching over to Chilton Logging, crushing rock. He said he felt he had landed his perfect job at a perfect place with perfect people. He recently said he felt like he was in heaven. Bob was a devoted and loving father to his two sons, Elliott and Luke. They spent time snow skiing, fishing, boating, shooting, white water rafting and countless weekends camping on the property off Lake Merwin. One item Bob always had on his bucket list was to jump out of an airplane. He accomplished this with his son Luke in 2019. Bob and his girlfriend Melynda enjoyed NASCAR. They had season tickets to the Arizona race. It was their getaway every November. They hosted a yearly summer party that was known well by many. They enjoyed playing pinochle with friends and most recently acquired four yearling steers in hopes of having a larger herd in the future. He loved pulling in the driveway and seeing them at the gate waiting for him. He was an avid Kansas City Chiefs fan and was able to celebrate their 2020 Super Bowl win. He was a proud member of the NRA. His favorite food choices were questioned by many. He would pass up a gourmet meal for a large bowl of Kraft Mac and Cheese with hamburger and ketchup or a grilled cheese sandwich with grape jelly on top. Bob had a natural talent for making friends. He was a man of many words and stories. His personality shined through in every situation. He had an entertaining, side-splitting sense of humor that was infectious to everyone around him. He was warm, funny, hard-working and unassuming. He was the life of the party. He lived life to create memories and always wanted to share it with others. Bob was preceded in death by his mother, Millie (Legleiter) Skillett; nephew, Christopher Befort and long-time special friends, Susan Jerstad and Fred Leseman. He is survived by his father, Garold Skillett (Marketta Randolph) of Rush Center, KS; two sons, Elliott and Luke Skillett, Vancouver, WA; twin brother, Rob Skillett (Saleena) of Rush Center, KS; sisters, Jeannie (Greg) Phillips of Lewis, KS, Donna Skillett of Linn Valley, KS and Debbie Skillett of La Crosse, KS; nephews, Ward Phillips of Overland Park, KS, Wade Phillips (Kayla) of Hutchinson, KS, Joshua Skillett of Linn Valley, KS, Logan, Trenton and Cord Skillett of Rush Center, KS. He will also be dearly missed by his significant other, Melynda Downing of La Center, WA. Bob had many friends, far too many to list. A shout out to his close friends, Ron Tammen and Tom Keener, both of Rush Center, KS, Ervin and Leone Johnson, La Center, WA, Dennis Strode, Vancouver, WA, Jay Kafferlin, Woodland, WA, Matt Rychel, Woodland, WA, Mark Jochim, Ridgefield, WA, Tyler Behrendsen, La Center, WA, CJ Leffler, Kalama, WA, Bruce Boylan, Vancouver, WA, David Preuss, Ridgefield, WA, Daren Cresap, La Center, WA, Tim Slate, Washougal, WA and the best neighbors anyone could ask for _ the Clark, Woodson, Bosckis and Furman families. A celebration of Bob's life will be held in Ariel, WA on Sept. 19 and in Rush Center, KS, in early October.

Bobbie D. Skillett

March 10, 1968 - August 26, 2020