John Benjamin Skonnard

John Benjamin “Ben” Skonnard, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, artist, and lifelong learner, passed away peacefully on August 23, 2026, in South Jordan, Utah, at the age of 80 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Ben was born on June 1, 1946, in Portland, Oregon, to John Barnard Skonnard and Elsie Elizabeth Anderson. He was raised in Portland and spent most of his life there before moving to Utah in the early 2000s. He grew up in an avid golfing family and enjoyed photography, rifle shooting, genealogy, swimming in Cove, Oregon, and spending time with his cousins.

Towards the end of high school, Ben was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and shortly thereafter served a mission for two years in Germany.

On October 31, 1969, Ben married the love of his life, Jewel Ann Foulke. They shared 52 years of marriage before Jewel passed away on March 21, 2022. Together, they built a family and a life filled with faith, service, and love. Ben was a devoted father and grandfather. He delighted in teaching his children and grandchildren, sharing with them his love of math, drawing, chess, backgammon, board games, sports, and many other interests. They will always remember his loud, contagious laugh. Ben loved to plan, and sometimes to over-plan, family activities and adventures, reflecting his enthusiasm for making the most of life with those he loved.

Ben was a gifted artist. After graduating from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, he spent part of his early adult life working in advertising and design while developing his talent as an oil painter. He painted numerous beautiful oil paintings, many of which remain treasured by his children. Later, he returned to school at Portland State University, attending night classes to earn an accounting degree. He passed the CPA examination and spent much of his professional career working as the controller for an electronics company.

Ben was also an entrepreneur who never stopped learning or looking for his next opportunity. During his career, he founded a software company that developed and sold accounting software to trucking companies. After retiring from accounting, he reinvented himself several times, including working as a consultant, an e-commerce business owner, and a realtor.

Chess was perhaps Ben’s greatest lifelong hobby. He read and collected more than 200 chess books, organized chess leagues, played international games via post cards, and regularly participated in local chess tournaments. In addition to chess, he enjoyed music, singing in choirs, as well as walking, running and cycling. He even completed several long-distance bike rides from Seattle to Portland. Card games were another favorite, with Skip-Bo providing many hours of family fun. His artistic gifts continued throughout his life, and one of his favorite ways to use them was by drawing portraits of his children on long car rides.

Faith was always an important part of Ben’s life. He remained an active and faithful member of the Church throughout his life and he served in many different callings – he served as the bishop of their local ward in Portland for many years. Later in life, Ben and Jewel served two missions together—one in Phoenix, Arizona, and another in Utah working on genealogical records. Their shared commitment to serving others was an important part of their life together.

For the last five to six years of his life, Ben lived with Alzheimer’s disease and resided in memory care communities. Even in this difficult chapter, Ben continued to bring life, energy, and happiness to those around him. His smile and infectious personality touched residents, caregivers, and staff, and remained a beautiful part of who he was. The people who cared for him also came to love him, and Ben found genuine moments of joy in his final years.

Ben’s greatest legacy is the family and friendships he nurtured throughout his life. He is survived by his four children: Jenny (Cory) Farley of Fort Worth, Texas; Aaron (Monica) Skonnard of Alpine, Utah; Emilee (Manuel) Murdoch of Blackfoot, Idaho; and Sara (David) Conklin of St. George, Utah; as well as 24 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his sister, Joanne Hellberg, in 2015, and both of his parents, John and Elsie.

Ben will be deeply missed by his family and all who knew him. His children and grandchildren will carry with them his lessons, his artwork, his curiosity and love of learning, his sense of adventure, and—perhaps most of all—the memory of his beautiful smile.