June 14, 1935 - October 10, 2020
Our father Philip Skulsky passed away quietly at Chilliwack Hospital on Saturday October 10, 2020 at the age of 85.
Predeceased by his parents Anton and Anna and his siblings Katie, Nicholas, Mary, Michael, Elizabeth, Jennie, Olga, William, Victor and Stella, Phil is survived by his sons Adam (Helena) and Todd, our mother Vivian, brothers Edward and Joe, and by his loyal partner of several decades and the love of his life, Sherrill Shields.
Born June 14, 1935, Phil spent his early years in Edmonton, before moving with his family to Vernon, BC in the late 1940s. After spending two years (1953-55) with the Royal Canadian Air Force, Phil returned to Vernon where he met and married Vivian Wiley in 1959 before they moved to Vancouver to start their new life together, eventually buying a home in Coquitlam where our family would reside for many years.
Early in the 1990s, Phil began a relationship with Sherrill that lasted the rest of his life, with them eventually purchasing a home in Chilliwack where he happily spent the remainder of his days puttering in the garden and enjoying the natural surroundings.
During his life Phil worked at several occupations, eventually becoming a journeyman Sheet Metal Worker and a member of Local 280.
Phil worked on several large projects across the Lower Mainland but was particularly proud to contribute his talents to the building of the Pan Pacific Hotel and Vancouver General Hospital's Jim Pattison Pavilion.
An avid sportsman, Phil was a long-suffering Canucks fan who played old-timers hockey for nearly 50 years, taking his last skate at 83. Phil also spent several years as an assistant coach on his son Todd's hockey teams with the Coquitlam Minor Hockey Association.
Phil was a scratch golfer and outstanding snooker player and was thrilled to meet and play some friendly games with former World Snooker Champion Cliff Thorburn in the early 1980s.
In his retirement years Phil was an active traveler, enjoying cruises to Alaska, visiting several countries within the Caribbean Sea and finally making it to Europe in his 76th year while cruising the Mediterranean with Sherrill.
In his later years, Phil often visited Victoria where he spent some quality time with his son Adam and daughter-in-law Helena. Our father squeezed every drop out of his 85 years and although he will be missed it is comforting to know he passed away a happy man after a long and fulfilling life.
Our family would like to thank all the doctors, nurses and staff at the Abbotsford and Chilliwack hospitals for all the attention paid to our father over his final months. Due to the ongoing health crisis, our family will not be holding a service.