Skippy Clemens Malone

Skippy Clemens Malone, July 10, 1936 – April 5, 2025, a picture of generosity and faith.

Skippy was born on July 10, 1936, in Fort Worth, Texas to Laura and Earl Clemens.  At 9, her mother drove her and her brother David to El Paso in the 1936 Ford to join Earl at his new job with the FAA. From his birth, until her death, Skippy loved brother David fiercely.

In 1948, the family moved to Midland.  There was no housing, so they first lived at Terminal in barracks T401.  The upstairs had hardwood floors, a great skating rink for Skippy and David.  Eventually, Earl and David built the family home in Midland.

Skippy graduated from Midland High in 1954 and followed her mother’s example attending Baylor University.  She started out a home economics major, but that required wearing a hairnet, and Skippy didn’t think it was pretty, so she changed her major to Education.

In freshman English, several U.S. Navy veterans sat on the back row; one of them was Bill Malone.  Bill asked Skippy for a date at the first of the Spring semester, and the rest is history.  Bill and Skippy married in 1956 and graduated from Baylor in 1957.

They moved to Midland where Skippy taught first grade.  Her fulltime teaching career spanned 36 years at Travis Elementary, plus several years part time at Rusk and Emerson.  After retiring, she read to Terry Miller’s first grade class at Trinity.

Skippy and Bill were blessed with a daughter, Robin Malone Darr, and a son William David.  They thoroughly enjoyed spoiling two granddaughters Malone Sams and Elizabeth Darr.

Skippy will be remembered for generosity.  Often if someone said, “I like that vase or necklace or chair,” she would say, “do you want it?”  A description of Skippy is incomplete without mentioning shopping.  She was excited to find a sale.  She enjoyed perusing new fashions in stores and getting up early to go to garage sales, estate sales and Helping Hands.  She was most excited to find a “high dollar” treasure at a bargain price, especially if it was just the right surprise to give a family member or friend.

Skippy was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and her son David.  She is survived by her brother Dave Clemens, of Newnan, Georgia, daughter and son-in-law Robin and Jeff Darr and a host of grandchildren and great grandchildren: Malone Sams and partner Sara Van Buskirk and their son Arlo, Elizabeth Darr, Justin Darr, Jason Lowe and wife Peggy and their children Kanen, Kolby and Kara, Tamara Darr and son Gavin and Jennifer Darr and daughter Lohtse.

She has been a member of First Baptist Church since 1948.  As a teen she contributed to a time capsule in the building when FBC moved from downtown to the current location.

A few days before Skippy went to Heaven, she awakened and reported, “I’ve seen Jesus coming down the mountain with his arms stretched out …and all the first graders were with Him.”  Skippy knows Jesus as her Savior.  And Jesus knows Skippy.

Graveside service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at Resthaven Memorial Park in Midland.  The family will receive guests from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home.  Memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, April 10, 2025 at First Baptist Church Chapel.

Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland.  Online condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com.

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