Eskil "Skip" S. Danielson, age 79, of Byram Township, passed away on Monday, October 3, 2022. Eskil, affectionately known as “Skip”, was born in Dover, New Jersey on November 10, 1942 to the late Ruth and Eskil L. Danielson.
Skip was a highly trained and dedicated public servant with a passion for his community. He served as the Byram Township Chief of Police for 22 years, during which time the department received local, state, and national recognition. He was the first Chief of Police for a residential/lake resort community and earned citations for his exceptional performance, including Times Square armed felon arrest, Port Authority Fugitive arrest, and rescues. After retiring from his position as Chief of Police in 1993, Skip went on to become the Air Medical Coordinator for the Division of Emergency Medical Services at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey until 1998, at which time he took on the position of Director for the Sussex County Division of Emergency Management. As the director for 16 years, he played a pivotal role in disaster management involving floods, explosions, and hurricanes, and bravely managed local response to the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks.
In addition to his many professional achievements, Skip dedicated over 57 years of service as a volunteer First Aid/EMS provider and firefighter, during which time he was commended with numerous citations for life-saving, rescue, and incident management.
Skip was a member of Byram Township Senior Citizens; Sussex County Association Chiefs of Police—Charter and Life Member, past president; Sussex County PBA Local #138, Byram Township Unit—Silver Life Member; New Jersey Retired PBA Local #600; New Jersey State Association Chiefs of Police—Life Member; International Association Chiefs of Police—Life Member; FBI National Academy Associates of New Jersey—Life Member; Lakeland Emergency Squad—Life Member, past president and chief, cited by NJSP for direction of efforts to recover a trooper from Crooked Swamp Cave, Lafayette; Chatham Fire Department—Life Member, NJ Exempt Fireman, cited for rescues; Chatham Emergency Squad—Life Member, past line officer; Denville Fire Department and Rescue Squad—Life Member, past president; 200 Club of Sussex County—trustee, founding member; International Association of Emergency Managers; Police Honor Legion of New Jersey; Sussex County Chamber of Commerce since ’02; and Branchville Businessmen’s Club since ’12.
Skip was predeceased by his son, Eskil Scott Danielson.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Judith; his sons, Kevin W. Danielson (Cindy), and Eric C. Danielson (Debbie); his daughter-in-law, Tammy Danielson; his grandchildren, Aaron (Kelly), Amanda, Alycia, Sandra, Kyle, Ryan, Patrick, and Matthew; his great-grandchildren, Austin, Landon, and Carson; his brother, David Danielson (Donna); and his sister, Ruthann Hays (Bill).
Skip touched the lives and hearts of many as a dedicated public servant and will be greatly missed by his family and his community.
A visitation for Skip will be held Monday, October 10, 2022 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. with Public Safety Services at 7:30 p.m. at Smith-McCracken Funeral Home, 63 High St., Newton, NJ 07860. A funeral service will take place on Tuesday, October 11, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Newton, 54 High St, Newton, NJ 07860. Interment to follow at Locust Hill Cemetery, 168 N Sussex St, Dover, NJ 07801.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Skip’s memory may be made to Lakeland Emergency Squad, PO Box 311, Andover, NJ 07821; and 403 Reasons to Run Foundation Inc., 2 Lee Hill Rd., Andover, New Jersey 07821.
