It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of John Henry Skeffington, fondly known as Jacq, a beloved husband, father, grandfather and a proud Islander of nearly 50 years.

Known as the Peaceful Warrior to some caregivers, Jacq’s challenging, albeit brief battle with metastatic melanoma cancer ended with Jacq’s election of Medical Aid in Dying (MAID). He passed away at home on March 10th, 2025, surrounded by family, at the age of 73, after living one more “good day.”

Jacq relished life’s simple pleasures; he defined a good day as, “waking up at home, in a calm, naturally lit room with a view of nature (preferably water), having a cup of coffee with God while praying and meditating, followed by getting out to feel the weather and visit with family and friends. And ending with viewing the sunset, twilight, and stars.”

Jacq discovered Vashon thanks to a hitchhiker he picked up in Yellowstone Park on a summer day in 1976. Jacq was a Coast Guard Officer, driving his sports car to Seattle to begin duty as a Plank Owner on the newly commissioned icebreaker, Polar Sea. As the two approached the city, the hitchhiker persuaded Jacq to take a ferry ride and deliver him to the old Portage Store. His brother ran the store, the hitchhiker said, and Jacq could camp next door. Jacq accepted the offer and called Vashon home ever since.

Beverly, a friend from college, visited him often and eventually they married. The two bought a home in Dockton and began a family.

Jacq’s discovery of Vashon was as unlikely as his love for the sea. The youngest of four kids raised in an Irish Catholic home in South Orange, NJ, Jacq was fast and agile. He won a soccer scholarship to Moravian College, but a knee injury ended his dream of playing professionally. He graduated with a B.A. in philosophy and was working as “a dock rat” at a Cape May marina when a yachtsman invited him to sail to Connecticut.

After a day on the ocean, his miserable allergies vanished. Jacq took it as a sign from the Lord, and decided he wanted to spend his life on the water. He joined the Coast Guard and eventually became a diving officer on an icebreaker. Soon he was burying underwater cable to track ice flow and installing listening devices on the ocean floor. Swimming in 28-degree water, he recalled, was like wriggling through Jello.

After the Coast Guard, Jacq took his navigation skills to the Merchant Marine. For much of the next 35 years he sailed oil tankers along both U.S. coasts, through the Panama Canal, and estimated he had sailed three quarters of the world’s oceans.

The last ship he captained provided a unique opportunity to deliver NASA propulsion rockets from Decatur, Alabama, to Cape Canaveral, Florida. The route went by way of the Tennessee, Ohio, and mighty Mississippi Rivers, through the Gulf of Mexico, around the Florida Keys and up to Cape Canaveral.

Jacq cherished the many encounters he had with the river pilots and their colorful retelling of the local history. Jacq retired in 2013 to volunteer at the Presbyterian Church, the Senior Center, Honoring Choices Vashon and New Futures, a branch of Southwest Youth and Family Services. Jacq, along with Beverly (affectionately referred to as PopPop and Nanny) supported their adult children by providing childcare for their three granddaughters. Teaching them songs, dance moves, and helping their parents shape them into the kind, generous, creative young women they are.

Both Jacq and Beverly found joy in traveling, including cruises to the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and on river barges in France and Germany. However, they always felt best returning to their home and community. In Dockton, he was especially known for tending his garden with his prize-winning sunflowers. Neighbors enjoyed his playful spirit, and unconditional generosity.

Over the years, the family made annual pilgrimages to the east coast to visit relatives. For the last 15 years, both Jacq & Beverly’s siblings and their families have met up in Seaside Park, New Jersey, where Jacq’s eldest brother, Eddie, has a home. Between the combined families, there are as many as 25 beach bums gathered for swimming in the ocean, family karaoke, and wonderful meals al fresco. Often days start with tennis and bagels then finish with jumping off over-turned lifeguards stands and watching the moon rise.

Jacq will be dearly missed by all who knew him and his memory will live on through the lives he touched. He will be remembered as a caring and kind soul who took time to see and be with others around him. To quote Jacq, “In the end, there is only love.”

Jacq is survived by his loving wife Beverly; his children, Mason (Mia) and Charlotte (Nick) and granddaughters Vivian, Willamina and Elsie, brothers Edward (Alis), Patrick (Jean), sister Joann Myer and many beloved nieces and nephews and their children. He was preceded in death by his father Edward, mother Rose and brothers-in-law Walt Myer and Dennis Connors.

Service Details: Please join the Skeffington Family for a Memorial Service at Vashon Presbyterian Church Saturday May 31, 2025, at 12 p.m., followed by a Celebration of Jacq’s Life through storytelling at Camp Burton from 1-5 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Vashon Presbyterian Church or Vashon Care Network in Jacq’s memory. If you have any pictures or stories to share with Jacq’s family, please send them to jacqscare2025@gmail.com.

1951 — 2025