JEFFERY SKEATE

Thursday, April 28, 2016 3:09 pm

Jeffery Leonard Skeate, 61, of Decorah, passed away Tuesday, April 19, 2016, at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester, Minn. A private memorial service will be held at the convenience of the family.
Jeff was born on July 13, 1954, in St. Cloud, Minn. He married Elizabeth Champion Dec. 27, 1975, at St. Benedict Catholic Parish in Decorah. Jeff and his wife Elizabeth returned to Decorah in 1993 to open Skeate Books. After closing the bookstore in 1999, he began a sales career in the dairy business. He was employed by United-Suckow Dairy Supply in West Union until his death. Jeff’s love and passion was fly-fishing whenever he could, where he found great pleasure and solitude. Jeff has authored three books concerning fly-fishing in the Midwest’s Driftless region, written essays for Trout Unlimited’s Iowa Driftless Chapter website and various outdoor magazines, and has published poetry in literary periodicals in both the United States and abroad.
Jeff is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; their son John (Catherine) of Clive; his parents, Leonard (Leona) Skeate of Sun Lakes, Ariz.; one brother, Jay (Holly) of Pullman, Wash.; four sisters: Kris (Bill) of Greenville, Ohio, Karrie ( Bob) of Florence, Ariz., Kelly (Jim) of Goodyear, Ariz., Koni (Keith) of Lancaster, Pa.; and two grandchildren, Andrew and Amy.