An obituary by Fr Noel Wynne, SM
Rev Tony Skillen was born and brought up in South Bank where his father was a well-known and much-loved Head of St Peter’s School. After primary school, Tony entered St Mary’s College, Middlesbrough in 1952 and made such progress in his studies that he was accelerated into the sixth form a year early. In 1958, after successfully completing his A levels, he entered the Marist noviciate in Paignton.
After first profession, he went to Christ’s College, Cambridge where he read natural sciences. He then returned to Paignton to complete his philosophy and theology and was ordained on 9th December 1967. His first appointment, in September 1968, was to Sidcup where he taught physics in St Mary’s Grammar School.
In 1976, he was appointed to Hull as Superior of the Marist Community and Deputy Head of Marist College. In 1980, he transferred to Middlesbrough to become Vice-Principal of St Mary’s Sixth Form College, a post he held for nine years. From 1989-98, he was a Chaplain at London University and was based at More House on Cromwell Road. At the end of this period, he went to the Emmaus Retreat Centre at West Wickham, where he combined the roles of Chaplain to the nuns and Retreat Giver/Spiritual Director.
Tony was very gifted academically and was an avid reader. He was also a very good conversationalist and enjoyed nothing more than a good argument. It has been said that if he found he was winning an argument too easily, he would change sides to give himself more of a challenge. He was a natural teacher and was equally at home with a full school assembly, a class of 35 or individual tuition. Perhaps his greatest achievement, even in school teaching days, was in personal guidance and this stood him in good stead as a University Chaplain and when he was in demand as a Spiritual Director.
Tony had suffered, for many years, from serious diabetes but his untimely death came as a great shock to all who knew and loved him. He will be sorely missed. May he rest in peace.
Noel Wynn SM, Confrere and friend