Finas Skeers

Finas Skeers was born May 28,1950 and died June 14, 2024, at his Puget Island home after a brief but losing battle with lung cancer. He was surrounded by his wife, children, love, laughter, and tears. Finas grew up in Darrington, WA where he learned to love hunting, fishing, the timber industry, pranks, and partying. He met Vicki Brown, his future wife, on July 9, 1977. It was love at first sight, at least for Finas. He would proudly tell of seeing her for the first time and saying aloud, “that’s the woman I’m going to marry.” He successfully courted Vicki and they were married on February 24, 1979.

Finas started working in the timber industry when he was 12 years old. He moved to Tenino, WA in 1980 and started a contracting company. He finished his work career as a beekeeper. At its peak “Dad’s Honey” had 500 hives and produced some of the best honey in the area. In 2010, after retiring, Finas and Vicki bought property on Puget Island where Finas started his “Bed and Bait Fish Camp” providing bed and breakfast for fishermen. They moved to Puget Island permanently in 2017. Ever true to his logging roots – he put a sawmill in the front yard! He loved milling lumber and did it up to the last week of his life.

Finas’ daughter Jody, born in 1971, was a welcome part of the family. Jacob, Aimee, Chad and Maggie joined the crowd in the 1980’s. Finas was generous, kind, stubborn, blunt and compassionate. He and Vicki enjoyed international travel and visited Ghana, France, England, Austria, Italy, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, Peru, Fiji, Thailand, Vietnam, Russia, and Morocco. He loved going up to Bristol Bay, AK and working at his friend Willie’s fish camp. He was always a welcoming host and famous for his Swedish pancakes and salmon ball. He excelled at vegetable gardening (especially sweet corn) and was known for giving away much of his crops. He was open minded and big hearted and judged people by their behavior, not their ethnicity, race, or sexual identity. He taught his children how to work hard, be kind and faithful, and how to stand up for themselves. He always supported his children’s choices and died proud of them all.

Finas is survived by Vicki, his wife of 45 years; children Jody and Bill Head (Arlington); Jacob and Emily (Olympia); Aimee and Crystal (Seattle); Chad (Seattle); Maggie (Issaquah); older sister Delaine Peterson (Marysville); seven grandchildren; and his faithful Springer Spaniel Precious.

A celebration of Finas will be August 17 at the Little Island Creamery beginning at 1:00. Finas asked for donations in his memory to be made to the St. James Family Center, 1134 Columbia, Cathlamet, 98612.