Ellen (Nicky) Skinder

MERRIMAC - 

Ellen Nicole Skinder (AKA Nicky), 58, passed away last Sunday, December 10, at Lahey Hospital in Burlington, Ma . She was the much beloved wife of Gerard Skinder and loving mother to Byron and Briar Quinn.

Nicky was born and raised in Haverhill,Ma, the daughter of Barbara and Lucien Archambault ,and graduated from Haverhill High School in 1983. While there, she served on the KeyClub, an  organization that completed service projects and fundraising drives for local charities. Nicky had a large and loving heart and enjoyed serving others, especially seniors. She worked at several local nursing homes while still in her teens. She also worked at the Haverhill Council on Aging and later at Visiting Angels where her sense of humor and kindness made her a favorite among many of their clients. She worked hard to achieve her EMT license in hopes of further serving the public and, even when in poor health , reached out to volunteer at our local senior centers.

Nicky’s love for working with the public manifested itself in other areas. She worked as manager at the Card and Gift shop in Newburyport, Ma. and collected and sold antiques at various antique  shops. NIcky was also an enthusiastic employee at American Stonehenge in Salem, New Hampshire, where she worked as a tour guide. She had an adventuresome spirit and loved to explore abandoned houses, forest paths (when she could stay on them and not go exploring the underbrush), and Egyption lore. She was a free spirit who excelled at solo dancing, singing, and  adopting stray cats that followed her home. She will be forever remembered as being a free dispenser of “I love you’s” as they were said to her family, friends, nurses, co-workers, shop workers, and her favorite EMT. Hers was, at its core, a sweet and loving spirit we will dearly miss.

In addition to her husband and children, Nicky is survived by her brother Brian Joseph Archambault and his children Michael, James, and Ellen. She is also survived by her nephew Zac Hayes and his father Zeke, her sister Leslie Ann Barnaby and her husband Charles Barnaby, their daughters Victoria Roche and Caroline Barnaby, and their spouses Marcos Roche and James Ballard. Finally, NIcky is survived by her nieces’ babies, Livy and Augustus, whom she had the opportunity to hold at the most recent Thanksgiving family event.

Celebration of Life Service and reception will take place on Saturday, January 6, in the UU Church of Haverhill, 15 Kenoza Avenue, Haverhill at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to American Liver Foundation at www.liverfoundation.org. For guest book, visit www.driscollcares.com.

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