William O. Skinner, former Daily News city editor, dies at 84

Published 12:00 am Monday, February 4, 2008

William “Bill” Owen Skinner, 84, of Bowling Green died at 10:50 a.m. Feb. 3, 2008, at his residence.

The McMinnville, Tenn., native was a retired employee of Warren Rural Electric and was a former city editor for the Park City Daily News. He was a graduate of Bowling Green High School and had attended Western Kentucky University. He served in the Army during World War II in Europe as a military policeman and participated in the D-Day invasion. He was a charter member of Eastwood Baptist Church and was currently a member of First Baptist Church in Bowling Green. Mr. Skinner loved golf, photography, amateur radio and gospel music and had been involved in 4-H for more than 30 years. He was a son of the late Dr. R.T. Skinner and Glenna Owen Skinner. He was preceded in death by a brother, Thomas Eugene Skinner; a sister, Elsie Hines; and his wife of 50 years, Ruth Grider Skinner.

Memorial service is at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Johnson-Vaughn-Phelps Funeral Home. Visitation is from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to The American Cancer Society or First Baptist Church

Words of condolences may be sent to jvpfh@bellsouth.net.

Survivors include his wife, Marcheta Graves Skinner; a son, James P. “Pat” Skinner of Bowling Green; a daughter, Judy E. Pearson and her husband, John, of Bowling Green; two stepsons, Dr. Phillip P. VanMeter and his wife, Lana, and Mark S. VanMeter and his wife, Pam, all of Bowling Green; a brother, Jim E. Skinner of Pensacola, Fla.; a sister, Sara Ratley of Little Rock, Ark.; five grandchildren, Traci Christian and her husband, Bruce, Marcia Sanders, John David Skinner, Jay Patrick Skinner and Sara E.J. Skinner; three stepgrandchildren; and four great-grandchildren, Abby Ruth Sanders, Terri Lynn Davis and her husband, Brian, Amber Renee Christian and Gwynivere S. Skinner.