Keith Thomas Skiba, a Vietnam veteran who served in the Navy, died in Salem on July 10. His body was unclaimed.
On Tuesday, Aug. 13, he’ll be buried with full military honors at Willamette National Cemetery, 11800 S.E. Mt. Scott Blvd. in Happy Valley. The service is open to the public.
The burial is sponsored by Howell, Edwards, Doerksen with Rigdon-Ransom Funeral Directors, and the Dignity Memorial Homeless Veterans Burial Program.
“We do everything we can to find family, schedule proper services, and carry out those services, including military honors. We have a display of folded flags that represent homeless and indigent veterans that have been helped by this establishment in the past,” said Nichole Hill, funeral director apprentice, in an email to Salem Reporter.
After dying in an elder care facility, Skiba came to the Salem funeral home and staff started processing his paperwork as they do for other unclaimed people. That’s when they found out he was in the Navy.
Hill said she found Skiba’s son in Tennessee, who shared Skiba’s military paperwork. That’s when she went through their company policies and found out about the Veterans Burial Program.
Hill said they don’t know much about Skiba’s life. He was born on April 16, 1950. During his service, he earned a National Defense Service Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal.
“I am a veteran myself (Army), and it breaks my heart to see veterans go without benefits they earned,” Hill said.
The community is welcome to attend, and Hill said she hopes that Skiba’s service will help get the word out about the Salem program to veteran organizations so that they can have a few people attend.
“We love helping veterans and look forward to assisting those who need it, especially around such a difficult subject, such as death,” Hill said. She hopes that they will be able to have a full service at their Salem establishment next time.
The funeral home can be reached online.
Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-575-1251.
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Abbey McDonald joined the Salem Reporter in 2022. She previously worked as the business reporter at The Astorian, where she covered labor issues, health care and social services. A University of Oregon grad, she has also reported for the Malheur Enterprise, The News-Review and Willamette Week.
