Henry P. SKITZKI

26 SEP 1938 - 28 FEB 2015

• BIRTH: 26 SEP 1938, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio
• DEATH: 28 FEB 2015, Dujarie House, Holy Cross Village, Notre Dame, IN

INDEX

[N12510] Henry P. Skitzki
Brother Henry P. Skitzki, C.S.C.
Sept. 26, 1938 - Feb. 28, 2015
NOTRE DAME - Brother Henry Peter Skitzki, C.S.C., age 76, died on February 28, 2015 at Dujarie House, in Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame, IN. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio on September 26, 1938, the son of Henry and Florence (Jankowski) Skitzki. He attended Saints Peter and Paul Elementary School for four years in Garfield Heights, Ohio and following a family move, attended St. Angela de Merici Elementary School in Fairview Heights, Ohio. He graduated from Fairview Park High School in June 1956. For the next six years, Henry was employed as a Banquet Chef at the Statler Hilton Hotel in downtown Cleveland until 1962. He must have been influenced by his younger brother, Lawrence, because Henry decided to join Holy Cross as a Brother, a year after Lawrence had. Henry went to Sacred Heart Juniorate in Watertown, Wisconsin and received the habit of the Brothers on August 15, 1962 at St. Joseph's Novitiate, Rolling Prairie, Indiana. He made his first profession of vows as a Holy Cross Brother on August 16, 1963. Henry's outstanding skills and talents were as a professional chef. His assignment after pronouncing his first vows was to stay at the novitiate for the next 4 years to serve the community in the kitchen and train future cooks. In 1967 he was assigned to join the staff at Archbishop Hoban High in Akron for 2 years and in 1969 he became the Director of Food Services at Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills, Ohio for 8 years. In 1977 he moved to Chatsworth, California to serve in the kitchen at Ranch San Antonio for 6 years. In 1983 he moved to Notre Dame to join the food service staff at Moreau Seminary and then at Saint Mary's College. In 1985 he was the head chef at Columba Hall where he oversaw other cooks to help provide wholesome and appetizing meals for the large community for 13 years. In 1998 he moved across Michigan Avenue to join the food service at Dujarie House and also worked as a Cake Decorator at a Dairy Queen facility in South Bend. In 2001 he worked for Marriott Food Services at Saint Mary's College as a specialty display chef for 6 years. Due to health reasons, Henry had to retire from active leadership and assistance in kitchens, but he continued teaching others his talent to provide attractive, appropriate and economical foods. He taught classes each semester at the Forever Learning Institute on gourmet cooking. He also would hold special sessions (Brother Henry's Cooking Classes) in his Riverside apartment in Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame. A small group would gather each spring and fall to learn how to prepare tantalizing meals. Each person was assigned a particular menu item with Henry making sure that the person prepared the food just right. The evenings were one of enjoyment and merriment. Henry also was famous for his Wine Pairing Sessions where wines from around the world were paired with appropriate foods of the culture or country. Henry's other talents and generosity were evident in the way he befriended a Vietnamese refugee who came to South Bend from the boat people episode. Henry helped with the family needs to be sure they adjusted to the new urban culture. Henry made sure the education of the young girls, his "grand-daughters" were looked after with their education at St. Joseph High School and Holy Cross College. With Henry's passing, that wonderful family, as well as our wide Holy Cross family at Notre Dame has lost a talented professional chef, and a most kind, generous, and devoted friend. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, March 3rd, at the St. Joseph Chapel, Holy Cross College, Notre Dame, IN, from 9:30 to 11:00 am. The Mass of Resurrection will then follow with interment afterward in St. Joseph's Cemetery of Holy Cross Village. Kaniewski Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. Memorial contributions, in honor of Brother Henry Skitzki, C.S.C., to support the mission and ministries of the Brothers may be sent to: Brothers of Holy Cross, Office of Development, P.O. Box 460, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Published in South Bend Tribune on Mar. 3, 2015