Gail M. Skidmore

Gail (McCreesh) Skidmore, 86, of Toms River, NJ, passed away peacefully on April 29. She reunites with her devoted husband, Russell Skidmore, who died on April 30, 1993. They resided in Middlesex, NJ and Gail later moved to Ocean County eventually settling at Brandywine Living in Toms River.

She is survived by her beloved daughter Donna and son-in-law Tom Lagos. Gail was also a cherished Granny to Brian Geller and his wife Stephanie, Christopher Lagos, and Thomas Lagos.

Born in 1939, she was the beloved daughter of the late Bernard and Mary McCreesh and is one of eight children. Gail truly embraced her Irish heritage passed down from her parents. She is predeceased by her siblings Patricia (Joseph) Reilly, Tom (Joan) McCreesh, Maureen (Rich) Washington and Bernie McCreesh. Gail is also survived by her sister Karen (George) Bailey; and her brothers Brian (Carolyn) McCreesh and Terry (Dottie) McCreesh; sister-in-law Sandi McCreesh, and many nieces and nephews.

Gail graduated from Plainfield High School in 1957 and immensely enjoyed performing as a twirler, eventually serving as the squad captain during her senior year. She later worked for Mack Trucks, Somerset Bus Company, Upjohn, and Allstate Insurance Company.

Some of Gail’s most cherished memories included cheering on grandson Brian at his baseball games while keeping score on post-it-notes; traveling to Ireland, Wildwood, and Canada with her sisters; spoiling her beloved dog Murphy; and exploring Hawaii with Donna. She also adored attending NYC Broadway shows and watching classic movies. The annual Oscar parties with her sisters and friends were notorious for laughter, opulent costumes, and memorable photographs. She was an avid bingo and Family Feud tournament player at Brandywine and she discovered a love of painting while residing there.

Throughout her life she was drawn to beach waves and rays of sunshine. She relaxed during winter months with Russ at Boynton Beach, enjoyed the Point Pleasant boardwalk with Brian, and found peaceful serenity with Tom and Donna at Litchfield Beach and Barnegat Bay. During her lifetime she regularly rooted on the San Francisco 49ers, the Fighting Irish, and the NY Yankees, while adding the USC Gamecocks to her list of favorite teams in recent years.

Her infectious, positive, generous spirit and unwavering love for her family will deeply missed by all who knew her.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, May 4, 2025, from 3:30 pm to 7:00 pm and Monday, May 5, 2025 from 9 :00 am to 10:00 am, at Anderson and Campbell Funeral Home, 703 Main St., Toms River, NJ. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday, May 5th at 10:30 am at St. Luke Catholic Church, 1674 Old Freehold Road, Toms River. Burial will follow at Hillside Cemetery in Scotch Plains, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, the family would greatly appreciate memorial contributions made in Gail’s memory to Team Bernie McCreesh, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity dedicated to oral cancer treatment, education and research at www.TeamBernieMcCreesh.com