William O. Skirvin

William Otis Skirvin 63 entered this life on August 7, 1962, at Saint Francis Hospital in Beech Grove, Indiana. He was the son of the late Leslie B. Skirvin and Mary Louise (Buchanan) Skirvin. He was known as Bill and lived in Indianapolis all of his life.

Bill had many interests throughout his life. When he was in school, he had parts in the school plays, he liked and made several items in shop/woodworking class and repaired and remodeled areas in homes. In his junior year of high school, he worked part time at Burger Chef. He became interested in the Wayne Township Fire Department and joined the department as a Cadet, advancing to a photographer, and EMT, and then a firefighter. In high school he was a member of the ROTC, sang in the choir, and was a 1980 graduate of Ben Davis High School.

After graduating Bill went to work at Amex Coal Co. and traveled across the US collecting information at the mines and then returned to Indy working at a computer in an office. Setting at a desk was not for him so he went to work as a mechanic on semis. During this time, he met Cathy Hommel, married her and made their home in Mars Hill. To this union was their first born, Christopher Michael Skirvin, then 4 years later their second son, William Aaron Skirvin. The two sons were the light of Bill’s life. As the boys grew up, he liked to take them fishing, boating, and swimming, he also shared his fondness for trains and often took them “train watching.”

Bill began driving semis and pulled doubles “pups” all over the United States for over 20 years but was forced to stop driving after suffering a heart attack in 2013. He settled in his home enjoying his cats, dogs, doing light house and yardwork, and cooking, and Bill was a good cook. He enjoyed listening to music all while building model trains. He had quite a large collection of model trains and a vast amount of knowledge of trains. He too enjoyed his life with all his family, friends, and his companion, Dawn West.

In May 2025, after a routine doctor’s visit it was discovered that Bill had pancreatic cancer. He went through a regiment of chemo treatments immediately however several complications arose and with various attempts to overcome this and restore Bill to some quality of life, his body just could endure no more and he passed away on the evening of January 5, 2026, with his loved ones at his bedside at St. Francis Hospital South.

Bill is survived by his mother, Mary Louise (Buchanan) Skirvin of Indianapolis, IN, his sons, Christopher Michael Skirving and his wife, Sarah, and their son, Michael Skirvin, of Indianapolis, IN, Aaron Skirvin and his companion, Candra, and his son Owen, and daughter, Chloe, of Indianapolis, IN, his sister Melissa (Skirvin) Farr and her husband, Robb Farr of Shelbyville, IN, his nephew, David Thomas of Florida, and his aunt, Maxine (Skirvin) Jump and her husband Ted Jump of Hanover, IN.

Visitation will be held on Friday, January 16, 2026, 4:00pm-8:00pm at Flanner Buchanan Decatur Township with the Funeral Service there on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at 11:00am. He will be laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memory Gardens in Greenwood, Indiana. The family suggested any memorial gifts in memory of Bill be made the American Cancer Society or the Little Red Door Cancer Agency.

To sign his online guestbook and share your thoughts and memories with Bill’s family please go to www.flannerbuchanan.com