Blog

Dick and Sharon Skeers: A Life Built on Community

Some stories are built one decision at a time. A leap of faith, a shared commitment, a letter home from halfway around the world.

In 1970, serving in Cambodia during the Vietnam War, Dick Skeers was given an unexpected chance to return home early on the condition that he pursue graduate school. “I wrote Sharon right away,” he remembers with a smile. “I told her, ‘Get me into any graduate school you can that’s as close to home as possible.’”

Sharon did exactly that. She enrolled him at Western Washington University, setting the course for their future in Bellingham, a place that would become both home and heart for the couple. Sharon notes, “the opportunity to go to grad school possibly saved his life.”

Dick had grown up near East Edison off Chuckanut Drive, raised among farmland and small-town values. Sharon was born in Vancouver, B.C., to parents from Saskatchewan, who immigrated to the Seattle area when she was two — where she grew up carrying a sense of gratitude for her parents’ courage to start anew. Together, Dick and Sharon brought their values north to Whatcom County, a shared belief in hard work, community, and taking care of others.

“We raised our children here,” Sharon says. “We met people through our work, through our kids’ schools. It’s just the right size. You can get to know people and help make a difference.”

Dick agrees. “Bellingham is a complete community,” he says. “You’ve got a university, a hospital, a local government you can actually talk to. You just get to know people, that’s what makes you part of the town.”

Building Homes, Creating Communities

For more than four decades, Dick has played a role in shaping neighborhoods across Whatcom County — first through earlier ventures in the home-building industry and later through the work he and Sharon carried forward with Skeers Construction. From the start, Dick and Sharon approached building as more than a business. “We think of it as creating community,” Sharon says. “It’s about making neighborhoods people are proud to live in.”

That philosophy of contributing to the fabric of the county also extends to their philanthropy. Through steady commitment and thoughtful stewardship of their real estate holdings and other investments over time, Dick and Sharon have built a two-million-dollar fund to invest through the Whatcom Community Foundation – an enduring gift that will open doors for local youth and strengthen Whatcom County for generations to come.

One of their earliest inspirations was attorney Chet Lackey, a friend and longtime community volunteer who encouraged Dick to get involved in local projects. “Chet was in charge of building the soccer fields out at Northwest,” Dick recalls. “He also got me involved in the Boys & Girls Club when they built the new building on Kentucky Street. Once you start, one thing leads to another.”

Helping with that project connected the Skeers to a broader network of community leaders and volunteers. Dick noted, “people who want to give back to their community.” The couple’s giving grew from there, guided by the same principle that built their business: create something lasting and neighborly.

A Shared Philosophy of Giving

Dick and Sharon make their giving decisions together. “We’re in agreement about what we want to do,” Sharon says. Their shared focus centers on youth, education, and housing stability, especially creating pathways for young people to thrive.

“Helping kids,” Dick says simply. “I guess that’s our biggest motivation.” Sharon adds, “We think about what happens when kids don’t have safe and stable housing or networks of support. We want to help.”

Education, too, runs deep in their family story. Sharon is a first-generation college graduate, the first in her family to earn a degree. And Dick’s parents — his father a carpenter and his mother a teacher and college graduate — modeled a lifelong respect for learning. “My mother was a chemistry major and an elementary teacher,” he says. “That was always emphasized: what are you going to do with your life, and what are you going to do for others?”

That mindset carried into Dick’s years as an undergraduate at the University of Washington, where he joined Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, which was an experience he describes as formative. “It was all about personal responsibility and service to others. That was significant. It set the tone for what mattered to me.”

As their children grew and eventually left home, the couple found themselves with new freedom and new purpose. “When the kids were out of the house,” Sharon says, “we realized we could share more. Our big expenses were behind us. We’re just grateful to be in a position to give back.”

A Partnership with Purpose

That desire to give led the Skeers to the Whatcom Community Foundation, where they found a partner aligned with their values. Their connection began through neighbor and friend Steve Swan, who at the time served on the Foundation’s board. “Steve lived just up from our office,” Dick recalls. “I liked and respected him, so I went to talk with him about it.”

Through that introduction, they discovered a relationship that brought organization and flexibility to their giving. “The Foundation keeps us organized,” Sharon says. “They make it easy to direct support where it’s most needed and to change direction if another cause becomes a higher priority.”

The Skeers value the way the Community Foundation connects donors to community priorities especially youth, housing stability, and education. Their giving centers on helping young people who face financial hardship and limited options be able to create pathways for them to build secure, meaningful futures.

A cornerstone of that commitment is their strong support for Bellingham Technical College (BTC), where they established a scholarship fund to help students gain the skills they need to support themselves and step into purposeful careers. Dick’s enthusiasm for BTC is unmistakable, “You should see what they’re doing over there — it’s unbelievable,” he says. “We have a technical college, a community college, and a public university all right here. That shapes the entire community.”

Looking Ahead

Over the years, Dick and Sharon have witnessed Whatcom County’s transformation from a quiet, working-class region into a dynamic, growing community. They’ve seen industries rise and fall, waterfronts reimagined, and neighborhoods expand. “When we first came here,” Sharon recalls, “Boulevard Park didn’t exist. You couldn’t even tell Bellingham was on the water because the trees blocked the view. Now it’s a gathering place for everyone.”

That awareness of change has also shaped their hopes for the future. “We love this place. Its natural beauty, its mountains, and water,” Dick says. “We want to help build a community where people can live close to nature and close to each other.”

They talk candidly about the challenges of housing, growth, and affordability, but their focus remains constructive. “We’ve built neighborhoods that give people pride and a sense of belonging,” Dick says. “That’s what matters, creating homes where families can put down roots.”

A Legacy of Gratitude

When asked what they hope people will remember, the Skeers answer with characteristic humility. “I just think it feels good to be able to support,” Dick says. “We never dreamed we’d be able to give back in this way.”

Their story, from that fateful letter home in 1970 to a lifetime of community building, is a testament to what happens when generosity becomes a shared way of life. Together, Dick and Sharon Skeers have built more than homes; they’ve built connection, opportunity, and the kind of community they once dreamed of when they first arrived in Whatcom County.

“It’s pretty simple,” Dick says, smiling. “We are one of those couples who just cares about other people and cares about this community.”