05/29/2026
Today, we join our Hardin ISD family and communities across Southeast Texas in mourning the loss of an extraordinary educator, mentor, and friend, Coach Kenneth Skidmore.
For 56 years, Coach Skidmore dedicated his life to education, impacting countless students throughout his career at Elkhart, Troup, Hawkins, Hull-Daisetta, Barbers Hill, and ultimately Hardin ISD, where he shared his passion for upper-level mathematics with our high school students.
Coach Skidmore was much more than a teacher. He was a role model, a mentor, and a man whose wisdom, kindness, and encouragement left a lasting impression on everyone fortunate enough to know him. Whether on the football field, in the classroom, or simply through a conversation in the hallway, he had a remarkable way of making people feel valued and inspired.
When Coach Skidmore joined Hardin High School in 2011, he quickly became an integral part of our school family and our Math Team. His dedication to students never wavered. He believed in young people, challenged them to succeed, and celebrated their accomplishments. He loved teaching, loved Hardin High School, and, most importantly, loved the students he served.
Hardin High School Principal Dr. Robert Thibodeaux reflected on Coach Skidmore as one of the finest teachers he had ever witnessed in a classroom. Their relationship spanned decades, beginning when Dr. Thibodeaux was a young teacher and coach seeking guidance from a seasoned educator. Through the years, Coach Skidmore remained a source of wisdom, encouragement, and support. Even in his final year, he spoke proudly of Hardin High School and the respectful, hardworking students he taught.
Coach Skidmore's son shared that Hardin was more than a workplace to him—it was home. We are grateful that he chose to spend the final chapter of his remarkable career with us.
While our hearts are heavy, we celebrate a life devoted to service, education, and making a difference. The lessons Coach Skidmore taught extended far beyond mathematics. He taught perseverance, integrity, humility, and the importance of caring for others.
Please join us in keeping the Skidmore family, his friends, former students, colleagues, and all those whose lives he touched in your thoughts and prayers.
Thank you, Coach Skidmore, for your unwavering dedication, your servant's heart, and the incredible legacy you leave behind. You will be greatly missed, but you will never be forgotten.
