Gordon Olof Skoog is now in his heavenly home as he departed from his earthly home at 1:00 p.m. on September 21, 2024, at the age of 87. He was born in Sweden (parents Hugo and May Skoog) and came to this country before he was 20 years old. Gordon has two stepchildren, Anne Wade, Bowie, TX, and Mark Ledbetter who lives in the Philippines, and a son, Ken Holmes, Lakeland, FL. Gordon married the love of his life in 1977, Mary Alice Corbett, and they were married for 32 years before she died in 2009. In recent years, Lynne Rees became the love of Gordon’s life until she died in January 2020.
Gordon was an Executive Chef and Club Manager for most of the years he lived in the United States. Gordon has many letters of commendation in his files as to the excellent service he provided at numerous places where he worked. Some of the places where Gordon has worked are the Blowing Rock Country Club, Blowing Rock, NC; The Jockey Club at Rock Springs Center, Greenville, NC; East Carolina University, Greenville, NC; Greenville Golf & Country Club, Greenville, NC; Green Park Inn, Blowing Rock, NC; Rolling Hills Country Club, Monroe, NC; Hidden Creek Country Club, Reston, VA; Xerox Int’l Training Center, Leesburg, VA; Northridge Country Club, Raleigh, NC; Pinehurst Golf and Country Club, Pinehurst, NC; Ford Motor Company Private Clubs, Harsens Island, MI & Key Largo Anglers Club, North Key Largo, FL.
While working as the Executive Chef at the Green Park Inn in Blowing Rock in the early 70’s, Gordon worked with another Chef who was the Pastry Chef, George Myers, who later served as the Executive Chef at the Blowing Rock Country Club for many years. Gordon and George became lifelong friends. George Myers said the greatest thing he learned from Gordon was to “make sure you take good care of your hired help.” George said Gordon would often walk up to where someone was preparing something and he would say, “You are doing such a good job!” Gordon had a way of “picking people up” when they needed it. Before the Pandemic, George hired Gordon to work part-time for him at the Country Club when Gordon was nearing 80 years old. George said Gordon knew all the club members by name. As many of you know, Gordon could talk to anyone about just about any subject and about any place in the world, as he was well read.
Stepdaughter Anne Wade said, “Gordon did more than just shelter me. He loved me and he always introduced me as ‘his daughter’”
Gordon attended Mount Vernon Baptist Church and was a long-time attendee of the Men’s Connection Bible Study Group that meet at Chetola on Tuesday mornings. Gordon always appreciated the men of this group — especially the late Kent Tarbutton and his lovely wife Shelly who would often take a meal over to wherever Gordon lived and share the meal together.
The Foley Center has been Gordon’s home since February 2021, and he has received excellent care while residing there the last 3 plus years. All the staff were wonderful to Gordon.
Gordon set a good example for how we all should live, and he was always appreciative of anything we all would do for him. I often told him if our roles were reversed, he would be doing the same for any of us. In the words of longtime friend George Myers, “Gordon had a lot of friends here on earth, but he will have many more up in heaven.”
Gordon’s funeral will be at 11:00 a.m., Friday, September 27, 2024, at the Hampton Funeral Home located at 683 Blowing Rock Rd, Boone, NC 28607. Viewing/Receiving Friends will begin at 9:30 a.m. prior to the 11:00 service. Burial will be at the Woodlawn Cemetery, 6578 US-321 S, Blowing Rock, NC 28605.
Online condolences may be sent to the Skoog Family at www.hamptonfuneralnc.com
Hampton Funeral Service of Boone is in charge of the arrangements.
