Jack Robert Skaggs

November 15, 1922 – August 3, 2011.

Jack, 88, of Edmond, Ok. Passed away Wednesday August 3rd. He was the son of Luke and Iva Skaggs; brother of Luke F. Skaggs; Lewis J. Skaggs and Inez Rader; husband of Tommy Skaggs and father of Jack F. Skaggs; Jim Skaggs and Katherine Skaggs; step-father to Christine Smith; grandfather to Jason Skaggs; Logan Skaggs; Le Skaggs and Kelsey Farrell; great grandfather to Kaitlyn Skaggs; Brooklyn Skaggs and Kyler Skaggs. He was preceded in death by his father and mother; brothers and sister; wife Thelma and his son Jack Jr. Born in Norman, Oklahoma, Jack joined the Oklahoma National Guard in 1938 at the age of 16 and in 1940 he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. while still age 17. In 1941 he married Thelma Marshall and then was deployed to Wake Island in the Pacific. On December 7th, 1941 Wake was attacked by the Japanese navy. 475 Marines held the Japanese fleet at bay for 16 days before the island was captured by enemy forces. Jack’s artillery battery sank the first Japanese ship of the war. He was held as a prisoner of war until his liberation by U.S. forces on September 7th, 1945. He later received the Purple Heart for wounds received during his time as Prisoner of War. Following his return to Oklahoma, he became an Oklahoma City policeman, then a Detective. He was later an independent insurance agent in Oklahoma City. During which time he was elected and served 6 years in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. In 1970 Jack moved to Edmond, Ok. and went on to become a home builder and developer. He later met and married his wife Tommy. They lived in Edmond until his death. He was a 32nd degree Mason in the India Temple, past president of the Oklahoma City Southside Optimist Club; member of the U.S. Marine Corps Coordinating Council of Oklahoma; Oklahoma County Sheriff reserve officer and original member of the Oak Tree Golf Club. In 2004, Jack was inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame. A memorial service will be held Tuesday August 9th at 10:30 a.m. at Oak Tree Country Club. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association through alz.org.

Services entrusted to the care of Baggerley Funeral Home of Edmond, Oklahoma.