Obituary of Jeffrey M. Skinner

Hilton: Jeffrey passed away September 20, 2016 at the age of 57 surrounded by his loving family. He was predeceased by his mother, Alma Skinner. He is survived by his wife, Bridget Skinner; his daughter, Catie Skinner; his father, Richard Skinner; his sister, Kathy (Jed) Ivory; his nephews, Chad (Shannon) Ivory & Cameron (Karla) Ivory; his father and mother-in-law, Patrick (Jeanette) Little; his sister-in-law, Maureen Little & his brother-in-law Patrick Little. Family and friends are invited to call on Friday, September 23rd from 4 – 7 PM at Thomas E. Burger Funeral Home, Inc., 735 East Avenue, Hilton where a Prayer Service will be held at 7:00 PM. Interment will be held at the convenience of the family. Donations may be made to Wilmot Cancer Center, 601 Elmwood Ave., Box 704, Rochester, NY 14642. Arrangements entrusted to Thomas E. Burger Funeral Home, 735 East Avenue, Hilton, NY. http://www.burgerfuneralhome.com Jeff was born October 5, 1958 in Cheverly, Maryland. As a result of his father's work as an educator for the US Department of Defense, Jeff spent his youth in such places as Cuba, Germany and Bahrain. He returned to Bethesda, Maryland to finish his high school senior year, after which he joined the Navy and was stationed at Patuxent River, Maryland as an aircraft electronics and Doppler radar technician. He was honorably discharged from active duty in 1982, but continued serving our country for four more years in the Naval Reserve, taking him to such places as the Azores (part of the Portuguese Republic) and feeding his love of aviation as a flight technician. After leaving active duty in 1982, Jeff joined the Eastman Kodak Company as an electronics technician, and completed his Bachelor of Science degree at SUNY Brockport in 1993. He loved his work, and contributed to such projects as blood analyzers, DNA analyzers, and satellite imaging systems for government agencies and commercial customers. One of his final and most rewarding projects involved an airborne surveillance system, which took him oversees for a 3 month military support assignment in Afghanistan. Throughout his 34 year career, he felt privileged to work on teams with so many talented and dedicated people. He counted them as more than co-workers; he considered them friends. Jeff had a passion for navigation, both aeronautical and maritime. He earned his private pilot's license in the early 1980's, and became instrument flight rated in the late 1980's. He made deep, lasting friendships through his love of flight. He spent countless hours in the air with friends and family, bringing thrills and joy to many people. Jeff was a selfless man. He served his community in many ways, including working with Habitat for Humanity, the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, A Meal and More (providing hunger relief to Rochesterians) and a reading recovery program for adult learners through the city of Rochester. He volunteered for a number of years on the facilities committee at church, and coached recreational t-ball and soccer. His generous spirit influenced many people along the way. Family brought Jeff his greatest joy. He was devoted to his parents, his sister and her family, and once married, to Bridget's family as well. He spent countless hours traveling to Maryland, Michigan and Georgia to share in the special occasions of family life. He met his wife Bridget in the mid-80's. They married in 1989 and settled in Hilton, NY. After 12 years of marriage, their lives were blessed with the birth of their beautiful daughter Catherine Jeanette (Catie Jean). His proudest achievement was being her dad.