- Date Of Birth: May 24, 1947
- Date Of Death: July 29, 2021
- State: Colorado
Mark J. “Skully” Skulborstad, 74, of New Caney, TX, died on Thursday, July 29, 2021, with his wife Christal and daughter Maren by his side.
Mark, who was best known as Skully to his friends, was born on May 24, 1947 in O’Neill, NE to Palmer “Skully” and Marlys Skulborstad.
Mark attended high school in Salina, KS, graduated from Littleton High School in Littleton, CO and attended Colorado State University for one year before enlisting in the US Army in 1966. He served as a Chief Warrant Officer in the Vietnam War from August 12, 1966 to August 27, 1968. Mark was a “Huey” helicopter pilot with the 282 Assault Helicopter Company known as the “Black Cats.” He was stationed in a detachment at Hue and ran approx. 500 missions. On January 31, 1968, Mark was wounded defending a perimeter during a ground attack at the Hue MACV compound as part of the Tet Offensive. He was later awarded the Purple Heart. Mark’s commanding officer characterized him as “an outstanding pilot—one hundred percent proficient, brave, who learned every day, and everybody loved the guy.” He was medically retired from the US Army as a Chief Warrant Officer II due to the loss of his right eye.
After retirement from the Army, Mark returned to Colorado State University to study forestry and later took on aviation mechanics. He spent most of his career as an aviation mechanic with Frontier, Continental, and United Airlines. He also spent some time as an instructor at an A&P aircraft mechanic school and was commonly sought to travel internationally to assist and instruct other mechanics on more technical/complex aircraft issues.
Mark had four children prior to marrying his soulmate of 32 years, Christal M. Skulborstad, on January 14, 1989, in Littleton, CO. They lived in Aurora, CO and Bennett, CO before moving to New Caney, TX in 2000. He retired from United Airlines after an accident in 2014.
He is fondly remembered for his intellect, sense of humor, generosity, his fierce love of his friends, and his pursuit of excellence in many hobbies. His hobbies through the years included: anything related to aviation, rocketry, botany, woodworking, model and RC airplanes, hunting and fishing, skydiving, astronomy, and NASCAR. He was an avid photographer, collector of gems and coins, and rehabilitator of any small animal that needed it, but grew particularly fond of his squirrels. He strived to perfect any task undertook, whether it be flying, building cribbage boards, carving intricate tobacco pipes and pistol grips, or baking the perfect loaf of bread or Wacky Cake. His family and friends frequently benefited from his desire to perfect a talent. His children still play cribbage on the boards he crafted and his colleagues will forever remember the Wacky Cake as the “Pack of Pigs Cake.”
In his younger days, Mark was a champion silhouette shooter, an excellent pool player, an artist, a western dancer, and a singer.
Mark is survived by his wife, Christal Skulborstad, of New Caney, TX; four children: Leif (Vikki) Skulborstad of Castle Rock, CO, Sabra Shay of Colorado Springs, CO, Maren Skulborstad of Castle Rock, CO, Lars (Jess) Skulborstad of Parker, CO; seven grandchildren: Aria Skulborstad, Cecily Rawlings, Anders Skulborstad, Nathan Bordas, Sven Skulborstad, Nora Skulborstad, and Torsten Skulborstad; brother Dale (Ruth) Skulborstad, sister Sandy (Carl) Unrein, as well as many nieces and their families.
Mark is preceded in death by his parents, Palmer Skulborstad and Marlys Skulborstad, brother Gary Skulborstad, him and his wife’s unborn child, and granddaughter Carlisyn “Carli” Skulborstad.
