Ethel Marie (Haugaard) Skowronski

1929 - 2021

Ethel Marie Skowronski, age 91, passed away peacefully in her sleep at her La Posada retirement home in Green Valley, Arizona on January 31.  She was born on May 23, 1929 in Kenosha, Wisconsin to the late Margaret (Nielsen) and Jens Haugaard.  Ethel married Frank Skowronski, whom she had dated since 9 ^th grade, and they lived for a brief time at the US Naval Base at New Orleans where their first child, Pamela Jane, was born in 1951.  They returned to Kenosha to raise their family which included two boys, Randal Scott in 1956 and Brian David in 1958.  In 1991 Frank and Ethel moved to Green Valley, Arizona to enjoy their retirement years.

A stay-at-home mom, Ethel was always involved in her children's school and extra-curricular activities, even working as a teacher's assistant from time to time.  She was a member of the school PTA's, a den mother for her sons' Cub Scout packs, a Sunday school teacher, and was actively involved in the Kenosha Band Boosters program.  Nothing was more important to her than always being involved in the lives of her children.

While her children were completing high school, Ethel earned a bachelor's degree in education and began her teaching career at Bose Elementary School in Kenosha, earning a master's degree prior to her retirement.  She often lamented on how she had wanted to complete her doctorate while in Green Valley just to have it! (she was one class and a dissertation paper short of that goal).  She often reminded others that patience is the greatest virtue of all - no doubt, a mantra she reflected on throughout her life.

Ethel made many friends everywhere she lived.  We are so grateful for those cherished friendships in Kenosha, Green Valley, Desert Hills Lutheran Church and at La Posada, where she had been living for nearly fifteen wonderful years.  She was a member of the Danish Sisterhood since 1946.  She would proudly share stories of her Danish heritage and loved sharing news with others about family members.  She would often tell us how proud she was of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and how much love she had for all of us.

Ethel is survived by her children, Randy (Jules Markowski) and Brian (Elisabetta Carlini), her brother-in-law, Roman (Skip) Skowronski (Marilyn Madison), her sisters-in-law Karen Holland Skowronski and Mary Jane Lippert (Haugaard).  She is also survived by six grandchildren, Matthew (Heidi) Anderson, Sarah Beth Anderson, David Joel Skowronski, Lauren Margrette Skowronski, Daniel Owen Skowronski, Tyler Randal Skowronski, nieces and nephews: Eric, Karen, Christopher, Andrew, Sandy, Ruth, and grandnieces and grandnephews.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank, daughter Pamela, brother Leonard Englund Haugaard, brother-in-law Leon (Wick) Langnes Skowronski and her nephew, Stephen.

Services at Desert Hills Lutheran Church in Green Valley are pending.