All his precious family
We will remember Paul with our family trips to Ottawa and then your eventual visit in Alberta. Paul was so gracious, kind and with a lovely twinkle in his eye. He will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers to the family.
SKANKS, Paul Edmund
1936 - 2023
PAUL EDMUND TAIOREHENSERE SKANKS
31 July 1936 — 16 October 2023
Paul was a member of the Mohawks of Kahnawake, and his name in the Kanien’kehaka language means “break of day”. Paul arrived on this Earth at the break of day and left it peacefully and without suffering, at home as he wished, at the break of day on Monday, October 16th. He will be missed by his partner of 28 years, Leona Guay; by his former wife and mother of his three sons, Wendy Dennys (the late Maureen Parker); sons Mark Skanks (Amaya Tarasoff), the late Peter Skanks (Martha King) and Adam Skanks; grandchildren Sophie, Rachel, Sarah and Jacob; and countless nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and friends.
Born to Walter and Marianne Skanks (Diabo) in Toronto, Paul lost his father in 1948 and his mother in 1953. After some time with some of his older siblings and a brief time on his own in Kahnawake, he was taken in by Ken (Sr.) and Eileen Bagnall in Montreal, who were the parents of his high school friend Ken Bagnall Jr. (Pat). Ken Sr. was instrumental in guiding Paul toward his eventual 28-year career with Bell Canada, first in Montreal and later in Ottawa.
Family was everything to Paul. He is pre-deceased by all of his siblings and all but one of their partners and former partners: Walter and Mark (Paul’s twin brother) in childhood; Bob (Mabel), John (Ola/Carol), Dave (Annie/Suzanne), Blanche (Matty), Martha (Gene Sr.). He is also pre-deceased by his son Peter, and his dear high school friend Bryan Macdevitt (Val). For much of the last two decades, Paul took on the mantle of patriarch and took seriously the role of keeping all of the many cousins from all branches of the family connected, and even as his mobility declined, he relished the opportunity to host or to attend family gatherings, particularly around powwow time in Kahnawake.
Paul had many friends from his younger days at Lachine High School, particularly through paddling at the canoe club or through music (he played trumpet and sang); many friends through Bell Canada and the golf league in which he was an avid participant; many friends through St. James the Apostle in Montreal and St. Matthews in Ottawa; and many friends through his later work as an elder and traditional teacher.
The Oka crisis of 1990 was a pivotal moment in Paul’s life. That summer, many nieces, nephews, and cousins came to live with him in Ottawa and it re-awakened in Paul a drive to reconnect to his Indigenous roots and to devote his time to not only learn the traditional teachings, but to educate others. His goal was always to help others by raising awareness, and he was well positioned to share an Indigenous perspective with his many contacts in business and government. He retired from Bell in 1994, but thereafter poured his efforts into his work as an Elder and advisor. He was particularly proud to have his son Adam as his helper in this work for many years.
In addition to family, Paul loved food, music, telling stories, and planning events. His social nature and love of organizing led him to volunteer for many organizations over the years, but his last role was on the Board of Directors of the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health. In lieu of flowers, a donation to Wabano for their work in supporting Indigenous families would be greatly appreciated. A public ceremony (or ceremonies) celebrating Paul’s life will take place in the summer of 2024, but the details have not yet been finalized.
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