- Date Of Birth: January 3, 1966
- Date Of Death: December 30, 2016
- State: Alabama
Mr. Tommy Lee Skapnit, an inventor, a creator of anything needed for the occasion, at age 50 passed away Friday, December 30, 2016 after several years of battling colon cancer.
Tommy was born January 3, 1966 and was a graduate of Red Level High School. He had worked as a sewing machine mechanic at Judy Bond in Red Level, Pride Craft in Georgiana, Best Manufacturing in Georgia and most recently with Lavender Corporation doing shut downs.
Tommy was always full of new ideas and a new way of doing anything. He created everything from a watermelon cannon, Mr. Potato (a made from scratch unit with seats used to plant potatoes), and a 50 foot teeter totter for adults.
Everything had a purpose with Tommy and was a fun way to bring family together.
One year, he and his family renamed Mr. Potato to Mr. Onion and used it to plant 25,000 onions. They were harvested and processed for friends and family to have plenty of onions throughout the year. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and Tommy could look at junk and see the value of it. He always did everything on a large scale.
He was happiest being on a tractor and spending time with friends and family. His passion was farming. He set a goal to have 50 tractors by the age of 50 and he achieved that goal before age 45.
His annual garden was always huge, making sure there was plenty for friends and family. He often would give away what he had kept for himself, making sure no one went without. Three hundred foot rows of jalapeno peppers was the norm. He was always giving someone something.
He loved mud riding, hayrides and partying by a bonfire. He hosted annual 4th of July and New Year’s Eve parties and supplied everything. His guest list was “everyone” and he always had a new featured attraction. He had barrel racing with an old station wagon; firetruck rides with his own firetruck; miniature golf course using odds and ends to build a new course each year; bottle rocket gun; free standing ladder climb; backing up contests using a farm tractor with trailer; setting up a TV with surround sound outside; a stage with a live band & karoake; go cart track racing; and chuck-a-luk.
Tommy never met a stranger and he made friends with everybody.
His family says he was the best son, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, cousin and friend you could ever have. Left to cherish his memory is his loving mother, Shirley Skapnit (Finley) of Red Level; sisters, Peggy (James) McCloskey of Red Level; Patti (Gary) Young of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania and Susan (Robert) Welch of Dozier; numerous nephews, nieces, cousins and many friends.
