Robert "Bob" Stanley Skelly Jr.

Captain Robert ("Bob") Stanley Skelly, Jr., MSC, USN (Ret.) of Williamsburg, Virginia, passed away suddenly on 26 February, 2022, at age 89. He is survived by his wife Cynthia Brokaw Skelly, his daughter Kimberly Skelly Clark, his son-in-law P. Kevin Clark, his sister Margaret Bakalar, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins down to the fourth generation. Bob was born on 8 December, 1932 in Thedford, Nebraska. His family moved to central Florida, where his father worked as a minister for 10 years. The family then moved to Pasadena, California, where his father worked as a carpenter for Warner Brothers Studios, and young Bob worked several jobs to help support his family. He scraped through school, but became an avid cyclist (including racing in the Rose Bowl, and competing in the local Olympic trials), and worked in a bicycle shop. He enlisted in the Navy in 1952, which led to a 34-year Navy career. He trained as a dental technician, and then was assigned to the Philippines, where he contracted rheumatic fever which put him in the hospital for 5 months and resulted in a medical discharge. Once sufficiently recovered, he re-enlisted in the Navy. The rheumatic fever would contribute to heart problems and severe arthritis later in his life. While stationed in Hawaii, he met and married Cindy, during a 7-week period in the summer of 1957 when she was attending summer school at the University of Hawaii. The last thing her father told her before she left for Hawaii was not to date any military men. (Cindy said she married him instead, and dated him afterwards.) Their union lasted 64 years, until God claimed him. After 10 years' service in the enlisted ranks, Bob was commissioned as an Ensign in the Medical Service Corps in 1962. He took advantage of evening college courses over the years and earned his degree in Health Care Administration from George Washington University in 1970. He was the first in his family to earn a college degree. Bob's Navy career led the family to spend many years in the Washington "alphabet circus" (BUMED, OPNAV, BUPERS, HQMC, NGDC), while other active duty assignments included: Bainbridge, MD (where Kim was born); San Diego, CA; Vietnam; Pensacola, FL; Naples, Italy; and Camp Lejeune, NC, where he was not only the commanding officer at the Field Medical Service School, but also became the first naval officer to serve as the CO of a Marine Corps Base, at Camp Johnson. Bob had many assignments with the Marine Corps, and he loved the Corps as he loved the Navy. However, when Bob received orders back to OPNAV in Washington DC, the Navy stopped being “fun," so he retired in 1986. During his Navy career, Bob Skelly earned the following citations: Meritorious Service Medal with Two Stars; Navy Commendation Medal with One Star and One "V"; Combat Action Ribbon; Presidential Unit Citation Navy Unit Commendation; Good Conduct Award with Two Stars; National Defense Service Ribbon with One Star; Vietnam Service Medal; Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Unit Citation; Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon; and Expert Rifle Ribbon (Navy). After retirement from the Navy, Bob worked as a licensed home improvement contractor for 10 years. Bob and Cindy retired completely when they relocated to the relative peace and quiet of Williamsburg, Virginia in 1997, where they built a house in Governor's Land, went boating in "Therapy," and participated in many activities in the area. Bob was always ready to loan out tools, provide a helping hand with neighbors' projects, build a cardboard boat for the annual competition, or barbecue for a potluck or other party. Bob belonged to and/or volunteered with many organizations throughout his life. While it's impossible to list them all, they include: Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America; Kiwanis Club of Williamsburg; Colonial Williamsburg (where he volunteered for over 20 years); Habitat for Humanity; Grove Christian Outreach Center; and the Joy Singers. Even when not "on duty" in CW, he would wear his volunteer badge and offer to help any visitor who looked lost. Bob and Cindy moved into Patriots Colony in August 2019, where Bob sang with the Patriots Chorus, entertained the neighbors with his "squirrel twirler," and enlivened the Halloween parties with his fun and crazy costumes. His smile and his sense of humor will be sorely missed. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Bob Skelly's honor either to the Heritage Humane Society or to the Kiwanis Club of Williamsburg. A celebration of Bob's life will be held on March 11, 2022, at 2:00 PM at Nelsen Funeral Home, 3785 Strawberry Plains Road, in Williamsburg, Virginia, which will be available for livestreaming via the link below.