Nancy Skeff

Nancy was born in Alamosa, CO on July 8, 1929 because there was no hospital in the town of Blanca, where she and her family spent her first 8 years living on a homestead. When she was in the 2nd grade, she and her family moved to Gunnison, CO where her mother ran a boarding house. In the 10th grade, she moved to Monte Vista, CO and made her life there, working at various businesses. In 1953, she and her husband started the business Skeff’s Servicenter, a furniture and appliance store where, in addition, they repaired televisions and installed antennas on roofs. Nancy installed an antenna on a roof the day before her 3rd child was born! All three of her children were born there: Herbert Douglas (1947), Linda Marie (1950) and Barbara Joanne (1959). She divorced in 1970 and opened another business, Norgetown, a laundry and drycleaning establishment which she operated until 1978. In 1978, she moved to Canon City, CO and began working for the Colorado Department of Corrections – first, as a secretary and then as the testing administrator in the Diagnostics unit. Her service there, administering the required tests to prison inmates, was the work of which she was most proud. The inmates honored Nancy and began drawing her pictures and gifting her pieces of artwork: objects made of sock elastic, burnt matchsticks, melted plastic spoons, and gum wrappers – anything they could find to create something special for Nancy. Her testing room became affectionately called “Nancy’s Skoolhouse”. Some of this artwork is displayed at the Colorado Territorial Prison Museum; the rest remains in a private collection. During her career from 1978 to 1992 when she retired, she tested over 30,000 inmates, extending to them compassion and respect as she guided them through the testing process.

Nancy died Sept 13, 2022 at the age of 93. She was preceded in death by two of her children: Linda Marie and Herbert Douglas; grandson Sam Babcock and great grandson Isaiah Babcock. She is survived by her brother Phil (Kay) Bonner; her children Donna Skeff and Barbara (David) Creel; her grandchildren Ashley (Brandon) McKinnon, Ashae (Doug) Amerine, Bradley Skeff, Brian (Kelly) Everitt, Ben (Olga) Creel and Scott (Cera) Creel, along with her numerous and beloved great and great great grandchildren. Also surviving are nieces and nephews dear to her heart: Beverly (Darwin) Amundson, Pattie Reudink, Nancy (Anson) Derby, Dave (Linda) Clark, Art (Mary) Clark, Gary (Lisa) Bonner, and families.

The world will not be the same without you, Nancy. You are cherished by your family and friends and honored by the inmates whose lives you touched. You have lived a full and rich life – thank you for loving us. We will miss you.

Visitations will be at Holt Family Funeral Home in Canon City, Colorado, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, Friday, September 23, 2022.  Services will be held at Holt Family Funeral Home in Canon City, Saturday, September 24, 2022, at 2:00 pm.

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