Linda "OKEE-CHEE" Sharon Skolnick

Sharon was born on October 3, 1944 in San Francisco, CA. She was a proud Fort Sill, Chiricahua, Warm Springs Apache and Spirit Lake Dakota Sioux woman. She spent her life as an Artist, Activist, Author and Entrepreneur. She was known above all for being a generous champion of Chicago’s Native American community, its culture and needs.

Raised in Oklahoma, she attended the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, N.M. She was a counselor, director and chairperson of the American Indian Center of Chicago. A member of the Chicago Indian Artists Guild and for a decade she owned and operated Okee-Chee's Wild Horse Gallery, Chicago's first Native American and Native owned art gallery.

Her 1997 childhood memoir "Where Courage Is Like a Wild Horse: The World of an Indian Orphanage," written with her husband Manny Skolnick, earned a literary award from Friends of American Writers Chicago.

She was preceded in death by her husband Manny, and is survived by their children, Tevelee (Gary), Quentin, Naomi (Mike) and Vonda. Grandchildren, Lorenzo (Ninah), Vincenzo, Antonio, Nathan, Aidan, Henry, Allie and Lyla. Great-grandchildren, Rayna and Iza.

A Celebration of Life will be held on October 3, 2026 from 9am-11am at The Newberry Library, Ruggles Hall, 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL 60610.