Gregory Clinton Skoog

CW4 (ret.) Gregory Clinton Skoog, known affectionately as Black Jack the Pirate, was born on August 10, 1947, in Brainerd, Minnesota, to Clinton and LaVon Skoog. He passed away on March 8, 2026, surrounded by family.

As an Army military brat, Greg grew up in Colorado, the Chicago area, Brainerd, Ft. Holabird in Maryland, Japan, and Pontiac, Michigan. He met the love of his life, Nancy Graham, at a church youth group Christmas party, and they married in June 1968. Drafted into the U.S. Army later that year, he served with distinction for 25 years, 6 months, and 27 days. Following his time in Vietnam, the family lived in Germany, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, England, Washington, D.C., and then Germany once more before returning to D.C.

Together they raised four children: Lynae, Melanie, Kristen, and Gary. After retiring from the Army, Greg and Nancy built a home in Brainerd, where he finally put down roots and embraced a lasting sense of community. A devoted elder in his church, he attended services faithfully every Sunday no matter where life took him, even in his later years when he relied on a walker or wheelchair. He volunteered at Harrison Elementary School listening to children read, an experience that, along with entertaining his son Gary, inspired him to create the beloved character Black Jack the Pirate. For many years he visited first-grade classrooms throughout the district twice annually and performed for classes in Virginia for his grandsons.

Greg found joy in riding his motorcycle, snowmobile, and four-wheeler. He kept busy cutting wood to heat their home, enjoyed baseball, archery, hunting, and racquetball, and spent quiet hours working on crossword puzzles.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 58 years, Nancy (Graham) Skoog; daughters Lynae Knott Young (Jeffrey) of Virginia, Melanie Patton (Matthew) of Alabama, and Kristen Spielman (William); son Gary of Brainerd; grandsons Travis Knott (fiancé Alyssa), Stefan Knott (Jade), and Michael “Robbie” Knott, all of Virginia; sister Cynthia Farnsworth of Wisconsin; sister-in-law Deborah Pyke (Daniel) of Michigan; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clinton and LaVon Skoog; grandparents Floyd and Leora Olson and Myer and Nora Skoog; sister-in-law Barbara Graham; and brother-in-law Dennis Farnsworth.