Obituary of William Patrick Skelton

Beloved father, William Patrick Skelton, peacefully passed away on September 5, 2023, in Lake Havasu City, AZ at the age of 87. He was born on September 25, 1935, in Venice Beach, CA to Cecil and Edith Skelton. Pat grew up in Southern California and joined the United States Navy when he was 17 years old. He served our country for 10 years on a Navy destroyer in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Pat met Dorothy Ellen Heath on a blind date when he was 25 years old. They were married less than a year later on December 31, 1960, in Santa Monica, CA. They had two daughters, Janice and Lori, and raised them in Redondo Beach, CA. He worked for 7-Up bottling company and later became a State Farm Insurance agent. He enjoyed camping, fishing, traveling, building a dune buggy, playing poker, reading and listening to country music. When they retired, Pat and Dorothy spent time traveling across the United States and parts of Europe. After Dorothy passed away, Pat split his time between Camas, WA with his daughter Lori, and Lake Havasu City, AZ with his daughter Jan and son-in-law Ted. He missed Dorothy deeply and shared their love story with many. He cherished their memories together for 54 years and continued to wear his wedding ring around his neck to show his ongoing love and devotion to her. Pat attended First Lutheran Church, the Elks Club, VFW, and American Legion. He loved his country, was a Christian and was proud to be an American. He enjoyed eating out at pubs, drinking a good beer, going out on the lake, playing poker with the guys at the VFW, seeing a movie, and spending time with his family, who will miss him dearly. Pat is survived by his two daughters, four sisters, six grandchildren and five great grandchildren, and he was preceded in death by his parents and wife. A celebration of life will be held at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, OR on November 22, 2023. The family has entrusted their loved one to the care of Lietz-Fraze Funeral Home. To sign the online register book, please visit lietz-frazefuneralhome.com.