She was born in Dalton, Georgia on April 7, 1928 to Lucille Peeples Vining and Louie L. Vining. After a happy childhood surrounded by extended family and many friends, Gin enrolled at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta when she was 17. Her mother would not let her go to Athens. After graduating in 1949, she taught at Dalton High until she married Jim Skelton in December 1951. Their 69-year marriage started with a five-year road trip, traveling all over the lower 48 states for Coca Cola. Jim was as a trademark protection specialist, visiting restaurants and other establishments to discretely collect samples of the products being sold as Coca Cola. Gin accompanied him and helped write his reports, keeping a lively journal of their experiences. They settled in Atlanta just before their son was born in 1956, living there until they moved to St. Simons Island in 2019.
Gin was the mother who was always home when school was out. She was the room mother, the carpool driver, and homework helper, not just for her own children but their friends too. She went to every basketball, volleyball, and soccer game. After Mimi left for college, Gin was frequently in Dalton to care for her parents as they aged. When her grandchildren began arriving in 1994, she was there to dispense her boundless love. Gin loved to have fun and always hosted their friends’ New Year’s Eve party. She loved to go to restaurants with a guitar or piano player and always knew all the words to the American songbook.
Gin loved to meet friends for lunch to shop. Her relationship with Rich’s led Jim to attribute his elite parking privileges at the downtown store’s garage to her “perfect attendance.” And she never, ever voted for a Republican and was very relieved when a new president took office this past January.
Gin was preceded in death by her parents, husband and many wonderful friends. She is survived by her daughter, Mimi Skelton, her son, Hamp Skelton and his wife, Karen, and the three grandsons who were the light of her life, James, Will and John Skelton. The family appreciates the devotion and care provided by Nasiya Roberts for both Jim and Gin the past three years.
Burial will be at Christ Church Frederica on St. Simons Island. While Gin loved flowers, the family prefers that any memorials be directed to https://faithworksministry.org or the charity of your choice.
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