Lifelong volunteer in many North Reading organizations
Published September 12, 2019
NORTH READING — Longtime North Reading resident Billie Jean Skerrett, 88, passed away on August 29, 2019. She was the loving daughter of the late Catherine and Jack Eilers of Batavia, Ohio and was the devoted younger sister of Mary Hancock of Batavia, Ohio, and is survived and missed by many nieces, nephews and extended family.
Billie is survived by her three children, David Skerrett and his wife Carol (Agresti) Skerrett of Dunstable, Cathi Close of Westminster, Colorado and Linda Skerrett Beg of Denville, New Jersey. She is loved and missed by her many grandchildren, Kimberly Alburtus of Hoboken, N.J., Kaitlyn Skerrett of Norfolk, Va., Alyssa Skerrett of Centreville, Va., Tehmina Beg of Brooklyn, N.Y., Jasmine Beg of Woburn, Rubina Beg, of Guatamala, Jason Close of San Diego, Calif., Timothy and Aaron Close of Denver, Colo.
Billie grew up in Batavia, Ohio and graduated with an English major from Marian College, Indianapolis, Indiana in 1951. She married Peter Skerrett of Rochester, New York in 1952. Billie and Peter moved their young family to North Reading in 1962 and was known to all who met her as a fun, loving, talented and friendly neighbor.
As a lifelong volunteer in numerous organizations in North Reading, Billie was an advocate for giving back to the community. She was a master seamstress, managed fitness salons, operated an interior design business, loved tennis and football (go Patriots), baking, entertaining, traveling, playing bridge, reading, aerobics, and yard saleing.
She will always be known for her fun parties, and her incredible “grandma’s attic” full of costume clothing and treasures, her amazing baking and her infamous coffee cakes. She was a role model of neighborly love, friendship and helping others. Her loving kindness was a gift to all who met her.
Relatives and friends are most respectfully invited to attend a funeral Mass in St. Theresa’s Church, 63 Winter St. (Rte. 62), North Reading on Saturday, October 12 at 10:30 a.m. with a Celebration of Life and luncheon immediately following in the Church Hall adjacent to the church. Please omit flowers but rather reach out to a friend or neighbor in need in her honor. Donations in her name would also be gratefully appreciated to your local food pantry or to the North Reading Senior Center, which she loved very much.
