(From Parker Mortuary)John Sylvester Skistimas, age 79, passed away on Sunday, February 6, 2022 at Granby House in Granby, MO.
John was born on January 24, 1943 in New Brunswick, NJ to the union of Sylvester “Hike” and Aiana “Connie” (Asplund) Skistimas. He grew up in New Brunswick. He was a 1960 graduate of South River High School in New Jersey.
He married Nancy Stapleton and together they had two children, John and Nicole Skistimas. Later he married Jeanette “Jan” Wade on July 3, 2006 in Las Vegas. She brought two children, Scott Wade and Tammy Thogmartin to the family.
He worked as a diesel truck parts salesman for over 15 years at MHC Kenworth in Joplin, MO. He enjoyed puzzles, buffalo, outdoor gardening, car shows, and air shows. He loved his family and never missed his grandchildren’s sporting events. While he was in New Jersey he owned a speed shop called Raceway Speed Center. He enjoyed drag racing for over 20 years and owned several cars. He finished his racing career as a pit crew chief/car owner for his son.
"John Skistimas was a man with such a passion for all things automotive. He has the distinction of growing up at the right time, a time when cars were king and a young man could indulge his passion for racing. These were times when it didn’t take a huge bank account to be a success in drag racing and John is a prime example of that. A young man who traded off his mechanical and driving skills, pitting them against others, on the drag strips of the northeast.
It would be hard for today’s drag racing fans to imagine the world as it existed when John first began racing in his 1956 Thunderbird. There were no sophisticated starting or timing systems, a man with a flag told the racers when to leave the starting line, and races were run at almost any facility that could be arranged, including the straightaway of Old Bridge Speedway where John got his start. A mere 330 feet long, the Old Bridge Drags allowed many who would later become very successful drag racers to hone their skills at getting a car off the mark first and John was one of these racers.
Graduating to facilities that were actually designed to accommodate the growing popularity of drag racing John did what young men of his era almost always did, he built quicker and faster cars with which to compete. When Raceway Park opened its doors in 1965 John would count himself one of the first to make a pass down the state of the art drag racing facility in Englishtown, NJ. This would be the first of thousands of runs, in cars that became faster and more sophisticated as John became a feared competitor in the north east."
- “The Story” on John’s website http://box5217.temp.domains/~jerseyr3/sample-page/
John is preceded in death by his parents, Sylvester and Connie Skistimas; and brother-in-law, David Hair.
John is survived by his wife, Jan Skistimas; four children, John Skistimas (Mary), Nicole Skistimas (Ralf Dietel), Scott Wade (Chris), Tammy Thogmartin (Bill); grandchildren, Robbie Lee, Lucas and Jennifer Thogmartin, Laci and Matt Edwards, Ryan and Lysette Wade, Brandon and Aubrey Farley, Spencer and Kaitlin Farley; great-grandchildren, Makenzi, Braiden, Mack, Korbin, Kate, River, Luna, Memphis, Charlie, Braelynn; siblings, Joyce Hair, James Skistimas (Pat); and several nieces, nephews, aunts, and uncles.
Memorial service will be held Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. in Parker Mortuary Chapel with pastors Jerry Siegel and Marcus Rogers officiating.
The family has requested that memorial contributions be made out to Higher Power Garage.
Funeral arrangements are under the care of Parker Mortuary.
"John Skistimas was a man with such a passion for all things automotive. He has the distinction of growing up at the right time, a time when cars were king and a young man could indulge his passion for racing. These were times when it didn’t take a huge bank account to be a success in drag racing and John is a prime example of that. A young man who traded off his mechanical and driving skills, pitting them against others, on the drag strips of the northeast.
It would be hard for today’s drag racing fans to imagine the world as it existed when John first began racing in his 1956 Thunderbird. There were no sophisticated starting or timing systems, a man with a flag told the racers when to leave the starting line, and races were run at almost any facility that could be arranged, including the straightaway of Old Bridge Speedway where John got his start. A mere 330 feet long, the Old Bridge Drags allowed many who would later become very successful drag racers to hone their skills at getting a car off the mark first and John was one of these racers.
Graduating to facilities that were actually designed to accommodate the growing popularity of drag racing John did what young men of his era almost always did, he built quicker and faster cars with which to compete. When Raceway Park opened its doors in 1965 John would count himself one of the first to make a pass down the state of the art drag racing facility in Englishtown, NJ. This would be the first of thousands of runs, in cars that became faster and more sophisticated as John became a feared competitor in the north east."
- “The Story” on John’s website http://box5217.temp.domains/~jerseyr3/sample-page/
John is preceded in death by his parents, Sylvester and Connie Skistimas; and brother-in-law, David Hair.
John is survived by his wife, Jan Skistimas; four children, John Skistimas (Mary), Nicole Skistimas (Ralf Dietel), Scott Wade (Chris), Tammy Thogmartin (Bill); grandchildren, Robbie Lee, Lucas and Jennifer Thogmartin, Laci and Matt Edwards, Ryan and Lysette Wade, Brandon and Aubrey Farley, Spencer and Kaitlin Farley; great-grandchildren, Makenzi, Braiden, Mack, Korbin, Kate, River, Luna, Memphis, Charlie, Braelynn; siblings, Joyce Hair, James Skistimas (Pat); and several nieces, nephews, aunts, and uncles.
Memorial service will be held Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. in Parker Mortuary Chapel with pastors Jerry Siegel and Marcus Rogers officiating.
The family has requested that memorial contributions be made out to Higher Power Garage.
Funeral arrangements are under the care of Parker Mortuary.
No comments:
Post a Comment