Jacqueline B. Skeen

Jacqueline Bella (Bouchard) Skeen, 84, formerly of Monroe, Michigan, passed away peacefully at Rose Arbor Hospice in Kalamazoo, Michigan on May 9, 2024. Jackie, as she was lovingly called by her friends and family, was born April 4, 1940 in Salem, Massachusetts to Albert and Bella Bouchard. She was one of five children. Jackie graduated from St. James Salem High School and spent time after graduation traveling with friends and working for the local phone company. In 1964, Jackie met the love of her life, Virgil Skeen, a U.S. Navy Signalman, after his ship ran aground in Salem. They were married the following year in Campbell County, Tennessee. Because Virgil was serving in the Navy, the pair lived in many different states, in addition to Guam, throughout their first several years of marriage. In 1966, Jackie gave birth to their oldest daughter, Kelly, in Florida, and four years later, their daughter Terri was born in Salem. Shortly thereafter, the family relocated to Monroe, Michigan and planted their roots. Over the years, Jackie worked at Waterloo School, Benesh Tool & Die and Marion Place. Jackie loved traveling. She cherished visits back home to the east coast, where eating seafood and snacking on popcorn at the Salem Willows were musts. She and Virgil were avid NASCAR fans and visited Daytona, Florida for races. She also enjoyed trips with her best friend, Ruby, to places like Gatlinburg, Tennessee, the Mall of America and Shipshewana, Indiana. Jackie crocheted and crafted, and she often spent weekends at craft shows selling her beautiful blankets and décor. At home, you could usually find her working on a puzzle, playing a game (she’s the reigning Farkle queen) or watching Hallmark movies. Above all, Jackie loved being with her family. Her daughters, sons-in-law and four grandchildren were her pride and joy. She was a supportive, easygoing, and generous mom, and she made every birthday and holiday a huge celebration. As a grandma, she never missed a recital, graduation, or sporting event, and she always had fresh-baked treats whenever the grandkids would visit. You could always count on her for a cheerful phone call where she would, without fail and up until her final days, tell you in her faded New England accent that she was “doing fine”. Despite enduring health challenges for years, Jackie’s optimism never wavered. That’s something her family will fondly remember and carry in their hearts. Jackie was preceded in death by her parents, an infant brother, her husband Virgil and her best friend Ruby Braden. She’ll be forever missed by her surviving family: daughter Kelly Braden and son-in-law Tim; daughter Terri Bowers and son-in-law Mike; granddaughter Ashley Kuhn and her husband Ryan; grandson Justin Braden; granddaughter Madelynn Bowers (and great-grandson due in September); grandson Mitchell Bowers; grandpups Rigley, Roux and Hanna; siblings Cecile Dickenson, Lynda Kobajlo, Robert Bouchard and sister-in-law Janice; goddaughter Jeanne Berube and many nieces, nephews and loved ones. Cremation has already taken place. The family will have a private memorial later this summer to celebrate Jackie’s life and honor the positivity, joy and love she brought to each day.

Jacqueline B. Skeen

April 4, 1940 - May 9, 2024