Larry Hugh Skiles of Cisco passed away unexpectedly Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at the age of 81.
Larry was born November 23, 1944 in Sherman, Texas to Ulrick and Zelma Edith Samples Skiles. He grew up in Munday, Texas and completed eighth grade before quitting school to work and help his family. He particularly enjoyed working as a flagger for a crop-dusting company as a teenager, as well as working for his brothers at their ESSO service station in Knox City. He later went to work for Automation Industries and began a career as a machinist that spanned approximately 45 years, working through the changeover to Rockwell International, General Dynamics and Lockheed. He was proud of his work as lead man on the F-16 project. When Lockheed closed, he later worked for several machine companies in the Metroplex.
It was in Abilene in 1995 that he met Amy Noelle Babb, the woman who would become his soulmate and wife. They met at the Steak and Egg Kitchen, where they became coffee and breakfast buddies, which eventually led to best friends and a loving partnership of 30 years. They married in 2000, and celebrated 26 years of marriage on February 14 of this year.
