A former Hamilton County commissioner and school board member, Fred Skillern was known to have a God-given gift for finances.
“Fred Skillern probably was one of the greatest financial minds that we’ve ever had serve in Hamilton County,” Mitch McClure, the pastor at Middle Valley Church of God and a former county commissioner, said in a phone call. “He could look at the budget and the reports of a school building for instance, and he could tell you where they could fix some things.”
Skillern died Tuesday morning at the age of 87, according to the funeral home handling his arrangements, Williamson & Sons. He played a humble but influential role in county politics for more than a decade while serving on the county’s legislative board, said former County Mayor Jim Coppinger.
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“Fred was really someone who exemplified what good leadership was all about,” Coppinger said in a phone call. “He had a way of getting people to work together. You had to get to know him to realize how compassionate he really was. He did so many things for so many people, but he never wanted to have any recognition for it.”
After serving about 20 years on the school board, Skillern was first appointed to the County Commission in January 2001 and was elected three times to the board before losing to challenger Randy Fairbanks in 2014 by 52 votes.
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“Fred wasn’t someone that sought out any credit for anything,” Coppinger said. “Fred just wanted to see the job get done. I think that’s what most of us admired about him.”
Skillern was also a philanthropist. In 2013, he and his wife, Bettye, donated $3 million in memory of their son, Rees, to Memorial Health Care Center to help develop a cancer institute. Rees Skillern died Jan. 24, 2012, after an eight-year battle with cancer and received treatment at Memorial.
Hamilton County Trustee Bill Hullander, who served alongside Skillern on the County Commission for nearly a decade, said Skillern was a conservative watchdog of taxpayer money and had little tolerance for showboating by other commissioners. Skillern felt pride in presiding over quick, efficient commission meetings.
“He said he met one of the TV stations getting off the elevator when he was getting on it to leave,” Hullander said in a phone call.
Skillern didn’t take credit for the good he did behind the scenes, Hullander said, whether helping a family struggling with finances or buying rings for a winning football team.
“He just did so much stuff that the general public did not know about,” Hullander said.
Hullander said members especially appreciated Skillern’s vigilant leadership of the commission’s finance committee.
“Whether it was investing money for Hamilton County or trying to put something out for bid, he was always the person that was probably the most conservative commissioner that’s ever served on the commission,” Hullander said.
In a statement, state Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, called Skillern a friend and confidant.
“When you think back to the early ’70s and ’80s, he made some tough decisions, all for the good of Hamilton County,” Gardenhire said. “He had friends on both sides of the political spectrum, but that’s what made him successful. Big loss.”
Jon Kinsey, who served a term as Chattanooga mayor from 1997 to 2001, said Skillern was a dear friend and one of the people who encouraged Kinsey to run for public office. Kinsey wanted bipartisan support and counted on Skillern as a trusted adviser.
“I was considered a Democrat at the time, which is a bad word now, and he was a big, very established Republican,” Kinsey said. “He was very helpful in that effort.”
Skillern served multiple stints as chair of the County Commission, a position members of the board choose from among their ranks.
Back when the County Commission had nine members, mayors often relied on Skillern to accumulate the five votes they needed to pass budgets and was frequently the first person they approached. Former county Mayor Claude Ramsey often referred to him as “Big Boy,” Kinsey said.
“He had that presence and made things happen,” Kinsey said.
Skillern was on the County Commission when Volkswagen announced it would build its first U.S. assembly plant in Chattanooga, and Kinsey said he was instrumental in securing advertising money for the local convention and visitors bureau, now known as the Chattanooga Tourism Co., through a tax on hotel stays.
“That is why we have the thriving tourism industry today,” Kinsey said. “He was a key in that. He understood tourism because that was his business.”
In 1989, Skillern was among Kinsey’s partners in buying the Chattanooga Choo Choo, which was then bankrupt and on the brink of closing, Kinsey said. Outside politics, Skillern owned Dixie Souvenirs in Soddy-Daisy, and Kinsey said he was likely among the first people in the Chattanooga area to do business in China, importing goods from the country.
Skillern’s wife, Bettye, died in September at the age of 87. They were married Oct. 30, 1959. Kinsey was able to visit Skillern last week and said he was as upbeat as ever.
“Fred led an incredible life,” Kinsey said. “He was ready to be reunited with his wife and son.”
Contact David Floyd at dfloyd@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.