Skip was killed July 9, 1965, when the smokejumper Beechcraft he was piloting crashed during a cargo run in the Norton Creek area of Idaho. Born October 12, 1933, and raised in the Chicago area, Skip received a degree in Forest Management from the University of Florida and a commission in the Air Force where he logged 1,266 hours as a jet pilot. He and his wife helped manage the family citrus grove and ran a charter flying service in Florida before moving to Idaho to fly for Johnson Flying Service. He was survived by his wife Pat and four young sons. At the request of his wife, he was buried at the Indian Creek Guard Station Salmon Challis NF Idaho.