Even at 94, it is hard to say goodbye to a man who had such an impact on so many lives. From the very first time I met him in his sun porch - as a friend of Jenna's, several years before Nate and I started dating - he adopted me into his family and called me one of his sweethearts. He never missed an opportunity to tell me how special I was to him, how happy he was that Nate had found me, and how much Jesus loved me. A message he mouthed from his hospital bed, even after the stroke took his ability to speak.
Since he has been sick, and now after his passing, it has been a blessing to hear story after story of people who have been impacted by Grandpa Skaff. The Fargo Forum ran a story about him in the paper today. They did such a great job of depicting his heart; how awesome that his witness has continued even after he has gone to be with Jesus! Grandpa would be thrilled!
For Samuel F. Skaff, life wasn’t about making money or garnering success in business.
By: Kristen Daum, INFORUM
For Samuel F. Skaff, life wasn’t about making money or garnering success in business.
Skaff’s mission was to encourage others to follow the Lord – a goal he pursued by passing out thousands of small, white Bibles to anyone he met.
Skaff, the founder of Skaff Apartments, died Saturday afternoon at age 94 in his Moorhead home.
The McClusky, N.D., native served in World War II before becoming a vacuum salesman and later a real estate developer.
In 1947, Skaff purchased his first piece of real estate – a three-plex home in Bismarck.
Skaff began building homes and apartments in south Moorhead 10 years later – the beginnings of a multimillion-dollar business now known as Skaff Apartments, in Fargo and Moorhead.
The business manages more than 600 apartment units today.
But true to his spirit, Skaff told The Forum in 1976 that his business success had “nothing to do with me. I believe the Lord blessed us materially.”
“God first, then the family, above business – this is our philosophy,” Skaff had said.
Skaff’s children echoed that motto Sunday night, as family members gathered to remember the man and his impact on so many lives.
Skaff suffered a stroke Nov. 12 and spent several days in the hospital before returning home on hospice care, prior to his death.
Charlene Skaff said her father was active until he had the stroke – taking part in numerous Veterans Day activities the day before.
And as he neared the end, Skaff focused his attention to one person: Jesus.
“He always had a passion for Jesus,” his son Sam Jr. said. “In the last two weeks, he had never spoken about the apartments he built or the money he made. He only talked about Jesus.”
Skaff handed out more than 140,000 Bibles during his life as a way to share his faith.
Skaff’s children and grandchildren continue to hear stories from strangers who had received a Bible and been influenced by Skaff’s enthusiasm for Jesus, they said.
“What he believed was his passion in life was just to get one more person to follow the Lord,” his son Wayne said.
According to a 2004 Forum report, Skaff said that one of his favorite Bible verses was Jeremiah 29:11: “I have a plan for you for your own good if you believe in me.”
A funeral for Skaff will be held at 11 a.m. Nov. 30 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 210 7th St. S. in Moorhead.
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