Skewes, who handed away on Mar. 27, served below 4 Dartmouth presidents and labored for quite a few Hanover neighborhood organizations.
Supply: Courtesy of David Skewes
Over the course of his life, John Greenslade Skewes ’51 TU ’56 had a “peaceable” perspective that profoundly impacted everybody round him, in response to his son David Skewes.
“He was one of many kindest individuals I ever knew,” his son, David Skewes, mentioned. “All people that knew him cherished him.”
Skewes, who handed away on Mar. 27, served as Director of Enterprise Affairs for the School and led and based a number of organizations in Hanover. Skewes is survived by his two sons, two daughters, 5 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, in response to his on-line obituary. He was 93 years previous.
Skewes was extremely concerned on the town life, in response to David Skewes. He based the Hanover Youth Hockey Affiliation, served as president of the Hanover Enchancment Society, was a member of each the Hanover and Dresden College Boards and the Hanover Board of Selectmen. Skewes additionally chaired the Hanover Inn Board of Overseers, directed the Hanover Water Works Firm and was concerned with the Hanover Rotary Membership. In 1993, Skewes was named Hanover’s Citizen of the 12 months.
Born in Claremont, New Hampshire, in 1929, Skewes moved to Harmony, Massachusetts, for his senior 12 months of highschool earlier than graduating in 1946.
As a born and raised Granite Stater who grew up attending Dartmouth soccer video games and monitor meets, Skewes by no means doubted the place he needed to attend school, he mentioned in a 2003 interview.
“I used to be a Dartmouth fan from being a child,” Skewes mentioned. “I simply by no means thought-about the rest.”
Dartmouth was the one college utilized to, and he was “semi-recruited” to play soccer by backfield coach Milton Piepul, in response to Skewes’ interview. Whereas in school, Skewes majored in historical past and based Dartmouth’s first rugby crew.
“[John Skewes and other students] began the rugby program as a result of there was a event in Bermuda,” David Skewes mentioned. “They thought it might be an ideal excuse to go to Bermuda on spring break, which was certainly one of his fondest recollections.”
After graduating from Dartmouth in 1951, Skewes enlisted within the Military “with three different pals” from school, serving as an officer in the course of the Korean Warfare. Whereas on go away from officer candidate college, Skewes met his spouse Constance again in Harmony. David Skewes recalled his father’s story of assembly his mom on the division retailer, the place she labored on the time.
“He went as much as her and mentioned ‘Would you prefer to go to a hockey sport?’ to which she responded ‘with who?’ and he mentioned ‘with me,’ and that was their introduction,” David Skewes mentioned.
Hockey was an vital a part of Skewes’ life, in response to David Skewes. He was his son’s hockey coach, and took their crew to Lou’s Restaurant & Bakery — which was then owned by his buddy and founder Lou Bressett — after each apply.
“I might nonetheless be in my hockey tools sitting on the counter with my dad, having certainly one of Lou’s crullers and a cup of sizzling chocolate,” David Skewes mentioned. “I’d say that’s certainly one of my favourite recollections.”
John Hochreiter, who served as President of the Hanover Enchancment Society after Skewes, and as a member of the Hanover Rotary Membership, remembered Skewes as “confident, dynamic and one of many brightest individuals I’ve come throughout.”
In keeping with Hochreiter, Skewes had a “invaluable” connection to the Hanover neighborhood, including that Skewes “engineered the following two presidents” of the Hanover Enchancment Society by “placing his arm round and saying ‘wouldn’t you want to do that?’”
Skewes helped the Rotary Membership to kind a greater relationship with the School, Hochreiter mentioned. As a member of the School’s administration, he facilitated the conversations that gave Rotary a “town-gown relationship,” in response to Hochreiter.
“[Skewes] all the time believed within the rotary traditions of service above self,” Hochreiter mentioned.
Skewes by no means forgot the lifelong pals he made whereas at Dartmouth. He might nonetheless recall the names of his classmates eighty years after commencement, working into and sitting with previous pals at Dartmouth soccer video games, David Skewes mentioned.
“That’s a fairly neat legacy,” he mentioned.
Every time Skewes left Hanover, he discovered his method again. After graduating from the Tuck College of Enterprise in 1956, he and Connie briefly moved to Connecticut. Ultimately, the couple discovered that they may not justify residing in Connecticut after they needed to spend their time in New Hampshire, in response to David Skewes.
When requested what stored Skewes in Hanover, David Skewes answered, “Dartmouth.”
“He simply cherished the School,” David Skewes mentioned. “He walked to work. He was simply so aware of the place and he cherished being part of that neighborhood.”