Obituary of Frances Rose Skinner

Frances Rose Skinner of Garden City, New York, died peacefully in bed on November 1, All Saints’ Day, 2024. She was 88 years old, had survived brain cancer, and was living as she wished, at home, still very much involved in the lives of her children and grandchildren, in St. Joseph’s parish, and in her book groups. She had many friends and is remembered with warmth and adoration, the great maternal figure of a large and loving family.

Frances is survived by six children, Noreen Heyer, Carol Fredas, Ann Skinner, Jesse Skinner, David Skinner, and Christopher Skinner; her children’s spouses Paul Heyer, Jon Fredas, Josephine Skinner, and Cynthia Skinner; and ten grandchildren: Julia Scotto, John and Christopher Heyer; Denis and Lauren Barden; Irving Griwatz; Alexandra Skinner; and Madeline, Benjamin, and Thomas Skinner. Through the end of her life, Frances remained connected to her many nieces and nephews, and to many dear friends as well. Her life was rich in community and companionship. In her last three years, Frances was also blessed with extraordinary support from Ida Cruz and other in-home health care providers.

Born on February 16, 1936, in Queens, Frances grew up in Elmhurst, the fourth child of Thomas F. Smyth of Brooklyn and Eileen Burke, originally of Roscrea, a small town in County Tipperary, Ireland. Her father, a proofreader, passed away when she was 11 years old, leaving Frances and her siblings entirely in their mother’s capable hands. Mrs. Smyth encouraged all of her children to become educated. A fine student, Frances made the Dean’s List at Fordham University, from which she graduated in 1957.

On February 7, 1959, Frances married Jesse Skinner of Woodhaven, Queens, a Navy veteran and college student who worked for Honeywell. They lived in Elmhurst before moving to Middle Village and then Douglaston. After five childless years, Frances became pregnant with the first of three girls, who were followed by three boys. The Skinners were hard to miss in Saint Anastasia’s parish and elementary school, which all six children attended. And their lively home was a welcoming place, open to all visitors, including a number of friends and relatives who needed a place to stay.

Frances was, by profession, an educator. A teacher early in her career, she went back to work when all of her own children were in school. She earned a master’s degree at Queens College and became a guidance counselor, working for years at Grace Dodge Vocational High School, a public school in the Bronx.

Frances was a deeply religious person. She and Jesse taught Pre-Cana and served as eucharistic ministers at St. Anastasia. Her older sister Eileen, to whom she was very close, was a Medical Mission Sister who devoted her life to the needy in Ghana, Nigeria, and Uganda. In Garden City, where Frances moved in 1998 after her divorce, she joined St. Joseph’s parish. She led a small group of women who prayed the rosary together after morning mass and before reconvening at a nearby coffee shop. She also participated in nocturnal adoration and Bridge to Life, which organizes trips to Washington, D.C., for the National March for Life. She was a member of Third Order of St. Francis, a Catholic lay community, and a supporter of many charities. She put to use her counseling experience as a volunteer at Our Lady of Loretto outreach program.

Raising six children, Frances had learned to makes ends meet by being frugal. She shopped at discount outlets and made clothing for her children, who rolled their eyes as she stood in line at the grocery store, rifling through a pile of coupons in her pocketbook. One time she pulled into a gas station and asked the attendant for the per-gallon price. He told her, and she said, “Outrageous, I’ll drive on.” It became a family catchphrase.

Later on, she was known for her generosity, sending all of her children and grandchildren checks on their birthdays and other special occasions, though some of the recipients were old enough to be entering their own retirement. A committed reader to the last, she had wished it was easier to obtain large-print books so she could keep up with her beloved book clubs.

Frances received Holy Communion on a daily basis, and prayer was of the utmost importance to her. Visitors to her home in Garden City would often find her on the couch in the front room, reading a book of prayer or working her way through an envelope stuffed with mass cards as she prayed for the souls of the dearly departed.