Michele L. Skillens

The 1st time I saw Michele I was amazed by her smile. Those of you that know her know what I’m talking about. It was this smile that one can’t resist. She was at this backyard rock party and was running around having the time of her life with her friends. I was a lil shy but I really wanted to say something to her. I was afraid if I tried to talk to her she’d run off and say get away you creep. After contemplating and getting up enough courage to approach her, I said Hi to her and she had smile and told me Hi and stood there and we started talking. I was in 7th heaven, I was like wow ,she likes me. From that instant in my life, I knew she was the girl I wanted. I don’t know why but I knew she was it for me and I’d do anything in life to make her my wife. Funny thing is I didn’t even know her but I just had this feeling of happiness. That’s what Michele magic did to me. That was the beginning of the most wonderful life I could every dream of.

We hit it off and 31 years later here we are. A lot has happened in the 31 yr’s. Both good and bad, but I guess that’s true in any life and we both accepted that. Many happy and sad times, but again we always seem to manage and survive.

For this eulogy I want to try and dwell on the happy times in the years I had with Michele and share some of the happy and funny memories she and I had. The 1st kiss, I know I’m a lil shy bout this but that I will never forget. It was out of the blue and right on the lips. I was again amazed in shock being the shy one I was. After that she was always hugging me and kissing me and that I will never forget and always miss that. Meeting her dad for the 1st time, she convinced me he’s cool. So after I don’t maybe 1 month of dating the big day was there, Meet Bob, I was nervous scared and almost shaking. Those of you that knew Bob know what I’m talking about he had this stare. Anyway I guess all went well because he liked me.

Lot of you out there always commend me for taking good care of Michele during her long struggles with her illness. I hear “Chris you’re a great husband” blab blab blab. Sure it was hard on me but what most of you don’t know is what Michele did for me. When I met her I was just a young and dumb wild guy with potential but not the desire to succeed. I thought life was just fun and didn’t take responsibility seriously. My mom was always there for me. But my mom passed and I realized I need to grow up real fast. Michele presence in my life at that time single handily turned me around, gave me the confidence, the desire, the motivation, the determination I needed to succeed in life. Without Michele in my life I don’t know where I‘d be today and I owe my life to her.

We shared many fun times together with my friends over the years. I converted her to be a Raider fan and her dad will never forgive me. Those of you that knew her dad Bob knew he was a die hard Rams fan. We used to go to lots of Raider games and she loved it. They never won much when we’d go but we’d still have so much fun.

Due to my getting older, slower, my basketball career was on the steady decline, I always was in denial but Michele was always there to root me on. She was my #1 fan. In one particular game I remember this lil guy hack a shaqing me the whole game. I’ll never forget Michele screaming at him from the stands. “You better stop that”. This guy stares at her and was probably wondering who that lil squirt is talking to. It didn’t bother me because it’s only basketball but she‘d didn’t like that this lil guy was beating on me. She wasn’t shy at the games.

She loved the watching the Lakers with me during the Magic and Kareem years. She’d be yelling at the TV during the games. I’ll never forget any of these wonderful moments. There’s just so many I can’t tell you all or else we’d be here all nite.

I will miss her so dearly and life for me never be the same without her.

Our wedding was another memorial day, just something I’ll never forget

Melissa birth was another memorial moment for Michele and me.

These are just happy times I’ll always remember in Michele’s life.

The day we found out she was sick back in 1992 was not pleasant but we both tried to make the best of it. It was a long battle and she had determination to fight it. I always tried to be right there with her. Towards the end sometimes I look at myself and feel I failed, since I could not make her well. I have a hard time accepting that me Michele’s crutch to lean on could not make her better. I guess only God can do that and now she’s with him.