Saturday, June 7, 2008

Robert F. “Skeeter” Powell


I was born at an early age. Mom and Dad were in the iron and steel business. Mom ironed.

I was really born in Eastern NC. Weeksville, NC to be exact. Dad was in the Navy stationed at a blimp base there. Mom had grown up in Elizabeth City, NC – coastal NC. My great granddad, Horatio Heath was a lighthouse keeper at Bodie Island Lighthouse and Currituck Lighthouse. My first year or so was spent in Sunbury, NC. Surely you know where Sunbury is. Outer Banks, Elizabeth City, Dismal Swamp, Sunbury coming in from the coast.

At about age two we moved to Greensboro, NC where dad had grown up. For all of the time I remember we lived at 612 Northridge St.

I grew up in a Christian home. Church was much a part of our lives til about Junior High. I think I had “fire insurance” early on but not a warm relationship with Jesus til later

In the spring of my ninth grade year Dan Komarnicki – the YL Area Director – came to a track meet I was in. That was the spring of 1960. We still keep in touch. The summer after my Junior year in high school I went to Frontier Ranch. Dan actually dropped us off and went to Trail West (Ahhhh, Dan had YL camping figured out) Roy McCassion was my counselor. He was everything I wanted to be athletically p- a two time All American at the U of Washington. Played in tow Rose Bowls. Captain of the team his Senior year. Dick Lowey, Bob Mitchell and Phil Mcdonald were the speaker and program team. Amazing. And yes I did give my life to Christ on the appropriate night.

My senior year I never went to club without a car load. President of our club. Didn’t miss a weekend camp or week of camp for the next 16 years.

In college (UNC CH) I played football and was a volunteer leader. The last two years I was on Student Staff. My academic senior year (I red shirted and had another year to play) we went to Notre Dame. I was on the kick off return team and got to play a lot at that position that game. Number 19’s knee got in the way of my kidney and my football career was over. I have only one kidney and was born that way. You knew something was freaky about me didn’t you. Well the good news is that the injury allowed me to help start a new club at Eastern Alamamce Consolidated High School in Mebane, NC. I could not have done that without the injury.

After college I went on YL staff. Two years in Atlanta in training then on the Greenville as the Area Director for 10 years. Martha Causey came to Greenville with me to be the area staff woman. Neat times. In 1979, according to my mother in law, I got a real job. It has been in different aspects of real estate so I don’t see how that made for a “real Job” Today I work for a large general contractor. I sell. Soon I’d like to retire from that and go back on YL staff in a Second Wind staff position and help out with Capernaum in Greenville, raise money for the local area and Capernaum locally and nationally, help Suzanne with stuff and any other Capernaum thing that would be helpful

Let’s go back to 1969. I met and married Cathie Skinner (Powell) 11-29-69. Cathie was a stewardess with Pan Am before we met. Was a computer programmer when we met and kept that up til 1998 with a break in there for two sons. Today she is involved in a ministry she started called The Anchorage. A ministry of Spiritual Direction and Retreats. Next year will be the 10th anniversary of the ministry

Rob is married to Susie and has two daughters – Morgan (3 and a little bit) and Madelyn (8 months). Yes grandchildren. God’s blessing on those parentswho allow their own children to live. Rob is a dentist and Susie is a veterinarian.

Lars is getting married Memorial day weekend. Ashley will be Mrs Powell. Lars is a professor at U of Arkansas – Little Rock. Ashley works in the health insurance supplement business.

When Rob and Lars got to high school I started to work as a volunteer in a traditional club. After about 8-9 years Ben Brewer came to club in a power chair and the rest as they say is history. The next 9-10 years have been with a Capernaum club. And that has blessed my life. Taught me a bunch about life and love and living.

Is this enough?

Oh, we go to First Baptist of Greenville. We are one of those moderate Baptist churches. We broke away from the Southern Baptist convention – or maybe we were fired. Anyway the struggle is over in our denomination for a while. Cathie is on the personnel committee and sings in the choir. I help teach a 9th grade Sunday school class – my people .

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Skeeter, I am very thankful for your life. I also happy that U had a part during the crucial years. Keep the faith.

Dan Komarnicki, St. Petersburg, Fla

Anonymous said...

Skeeter... I grew up next door to the Komarnicki's in Greensboro on Alderman Dr. Played endless hours with Danny and Tommy and probably witnessed the very first YL meeting in Greensboro. My son became a YL'er at Grimsley and went on staff in Raleigh while attending NC State. No telling how many kids have come to know Christ because Dan Komarnicki. My 15 year old daughter is now a freshman at Grimsley and is attending YL....Thanks Dan ! Bob Pleasants