Larry Neal Skinner

Larry Neal Skinner passed peacefully at 4:30 PM on July 13, 2024. His final moments were spent peacefully surrounded by his loving family. Larry was born on August 5, 1945, in Waco, Texas to Edger and Lillian (Virgin) Skinner. Larry was known by many names to his family including Dad, Grandad and Uncle Larry. Larry was influenced by his family to be an honorable, honest, loving and caring person, always making his family a priority, and he incorporated that into his whole life. He also had an enormous heart and wonderful sense of humor. He was generous, loyal, and brave. He was clever and full to the brim with knowledge gained through all his life experiences: professional, technical, process improvement, re-engineering, farmer and rancher, firefighter, fisherman and engineer — he could fix or build anything.

He attended LaVega High School in Waco, Texas. He then attended the University of North Texas where he earned his bachelor’s degree. He later went back and got him master’s degree in English.

He meet his wife, Lois Ann, when he was 17. Lois Ann was the love of his life, and they were married in 1967. Larry worked for Texas Instruments most of his life before he went to work for Bell Atlantic in 1993 as their Senior Vice President in Washington D.C. In 1998, he took a job as Vice President at Neiman Marcus in Dallas at their corporate office where he worked until retirement. Larry loved working and loved doing process improvement for the companies he worked for.

Larry was an amazing dad who was always there when his kids needed him. He never missed a sports game, a school event and most of the time, he was also the coach. There were many of his kids’ friends that came to him for advice, and he was always willing to help them. When Larry became a grandad, he was absolutely thrilled. He was an amazing grandad who loved his grandkids to the moon and back.

Larry was honest, honorable, smart and funny. He loved music, fishing, the world champion Texas Rangers, reading, the beach, traveling, his book club, and spending time with his family as much as possible. There were some wild games of 42 and dominoes along the way. He raised cattle and worked on the family farm with his father -in-law, RC, who became his best friend. He loved helping his kids with their FFA projects, teaching them about farming and cattle. Just like his kids were his world, his grandkids were his life. He loved building with them and making Legos. He was well known not only to his kids and grandkids but nieces and nephews as the one that would sit on the floor and build all the Christmas gifts. He would put the toys together and let you help while he guided you. He had great patience, and he needed that with the Family he loved. He spent countless hours at the church doing volunteer work, teaching CCD, helping on the finance committee and doing marriage and family encounter workshops. Larry cared deeply for the people around him. He made an impact on many lives.

Larry will be dearly missed by all who knew him. His family asks that he be remembered as the honest, honorable, patient and kind man he was and not the sadness of him passing. He is survived by his daughter Clair Skinner and husband Chuck; son Matthew Skinner and wife Kirsten; grandchildren Kaitlyn Page, Garrett and Cullen; his brother-in-law, Richard Womack and wife Gail; his nieces and nephews Brian Richardson and wife Pam, Bret Richardson and wife Lori and Allen Richardson and his partner Christy, TJ Womack, Russell Dorward and wife Chelsea and Diane Stark and husband Cody; and many great and great, great nieces and nephews along with many cousins.

Larry was proceeded in death by his wife Lois Ann (Womack) Skinner; parents, Edgar and Lillian (Virgin) Skinner; father-in-law and mother-in-law, RC and Camille (Smith) Womack; his grandparents, Edgar Irvin Skinner, Sr. and Agnes Mae (Scales) Skinner and Roy Butler Virgin and Minnie Mae (Richardson) Virgin; his sister and brother-in-law, Barbara (Skinner) and Doug Richardson; his sisters-in-law, Ruth May Womack and Jennifer (Womack) Dorward; grandson Richard Carroll, nephew Garett Womack and many other dear family and friends.

For those who wish to celebrate and say goodbye to Larry, the family asks you to join them on July 27, 2024, at the Clifton Funeral Home located in Clifton, Texas. Visitation will be from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM and the celebration of life will start at 12:00 PM with a meal following at the Bosque Art Center in Clifton, Texas. The Family request you wear Texas Ranger colors, Texas Rangers’ hat or shirt or a fishing shirt to celebrate Larry. It was two of his favorite pastimes, watching the Texas Rangers and fishing. Donations can be made in his name to the Coon Creek Cemetery in Smith Bend, Texas, or any other charity of your choice to honor him.