Roger William Skaggs, longtime resident of Glenwood, New Mexico died on February 11, 2026 in El Paso, Texas.
Roger was born in Frankfort, Kentucky on November 13, 1951 to William Leonard Skaggs and Rosalyn Adele (Alfs) Skaggs. After losing his father in 1964, Roger and his siblings were raised in Carbondale, Illinois by the hero of his life, his single mom.
Roger's passion for adventure and the natural world started early with snake catching and spelunking misadventures in the wilds of Southern Illinois and the Missouri Ozarks. Years of canoeing, mountain climbing, train hopping, and hitchhiking eventually took Roger to The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington where he met his partner in life, Katie, in ornithology class. After conducting bird studies in Mexico and across the West, Roger and Katie found themselves in Glenwood, New Mexico glassing peregrine falcons and decided to wed and make a life for themselves on the edge of the rugged Gila Wilderness. Eventually, Roger took a teaching job at Reserve High School and shared his knowledge with Science and Math students for over 20 years. Roger was a talented musician and loved playing guitar, mandolin, banjo, and harmonica with friends and family at square dances, in a bar, in a classroom, or just in the living room.
Roger is survived by his wife of 48 years, Katherine Curry (Eberhardt) Skaggs, his son Erik Skaggs (Kelly) of Durango, CO, and his son Kyle Skaggs (Meggie) of Glenwood, NM. Roger was the proud grandfather of Ollie, Olivia, Ketch, and Leland Skaggs. Roger is also survived by his sisters Cindy Tipps (Gary) and Becky Skaggs, and many loving nieces, nephews, and friends including "Uncle" David Whitacre, Roger's closest friend from childhood until the last days of his life. Roger was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Lewis Skaggs.
A Celebration of Life gathering will be held at a future date. In the meantime, think of Roger the next time you hear an owl hoot.
