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In memory of

William "Bill" E Skipper, Jr.

Ocala, FL

1945 - January 9, 2025

1945 - Jan 9, 2025

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William (Bill) E. Skipper, Jr., 79, of Ocala, FL, passed away on January 9, 2025, surrounded by loved ones.

Bill was born in 1945 in Reading, PA. He was named after his father who was killed in action in WWII in the Battle of Remagen in Germany. His mother remarried and the family moved to Allentown, PA where Bill grew up with his three siblings. Bill attended and graduated from William Allen High School. Bill joined the United States Navy serving 11 years as an AviationElectronic Technician. During his service he traveled the world and while stationed in Norfolk, Virginia in 1967, he met Linda (Lewis) Skipper. The two married, and after various military assignments and moves about the country, they settled and spent most of their life together in Chesapeake, VA. They went on to have 5 children and many grandchildren.

After an honorable discharge from his military service, Bill worked for several years until his career took a new direction. Using an antique tractor with a hand cranked engine, he planted all his land to grow sweet corn and tomatoes, giving birth to his lifetime career as a farmer and produce business owner of Skipper Farms. For over 40 years, Bill shared his love of fresh, quality farm products with his various retail and wholesale farm markets throughout the community. He was well-known and loved in the agricultural community of Hampton Roads.

Following Linda’s death in 2022, Bill reconnected with an old high school friend, Sharon (Sewell) Skipper. He moved to Ocala, Florida where they were married and continued to reside until his recent passing. He enjoyed his time in Florida where he liked swimming in the pool, growing strawberries and other vegetables, and spending time with his new wife, Sharon.

He is preceded in death by his wife of almost 54 years Linda Skipper, his mother Doris Hoffman, his stepfather Harvey Hoffman, and his father William E. Skipper.

Bill is survived by his current wife Sharon of Ocala, FL; daughter Barbara (Brad) Vedros of Fort Myers, FL; daughter Sandra (Keith) McNally of Suffolk, VA; son William Skipper of Chesapeake, VA; daughter Anna (Jimmy) Henderson of Selinsgrove, PA; son Andrew Skipper of Chesapeake, VA; sister Jan Smith; and brothers John Hoffman and James (Eve) Hoffman, as well as 11 grandchildren.

A celebration of life for Bill will be held at Calvary Baptist Church, 4832 Haygood Rd, Virginia Beach, VA on February 16, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. Since Bill was a disabled American veteran, the family is asking any memorial donations to be made to Disabled American Veterans at https://www.dav.org.