Ralph William "Skip" Scoggins' Obituary
We are saddened to share that Ralph William "Skip" Scoggins, a man of remarkable distinction and intelligence, passed away peacefully at his home in Dallas, Texas, on Sunday, June 15, 2025, at the age of 93. He was surrounded by his family and his beloved partner Mickey Dudley Russell.
Skip was a pillar of the community, known for his warmth, generosity, and tireless efforts to help others. While attending law school in the early 1960s, he helped the Home of the Holy Infancy in Austin establish a home program for unwed mothers. He never knew a stranger and was always ready to lend a hand, whether it was in legal matters or home repairs and improvements. Skip was gifted with the vision and creativity to see what no one else could to redesign a space to improve its functionality, but everyone else would be in awe of the end result. His passion for designing had him always sketching out design plans for his family and friends on any piece of paper he could find – even when they didn’t realize that an improvement was possible – or needed! Skip was always designing the perfect home! And he enjoyed the construction phase of a project almost as much as the design phase.
Another of Skip’s passions was animals; he admired all and cherished many. Squackamole, his yellow-headed Amazon parrot, was his devoted companion for the last eight years. As a kid, he frequently took all kinds of animals home and often tried sneaking a chicken in the house to sleep with him. As an adult Skip continued with his collection of animals, having goats and horses and ducks and parrots and cats, in addition to dogs. Skip raised and exhibited Great Danes, Bichon Frise, Xoloitzcuintli (Mexican Hairless), Welsh Corgis and Basset Hounds to national American Kennel Club (AKC) and international Federación Canófila Mexicana (FCM) recognition. Skip started the Great Dane Club of El Paso and was instrumental in bringing AKC dog shows to El Paso that were attended by dog show enthusiasts from all over the country. In the early 1990s Skip began researching dog nutrition and brought one of the first premium dog foods to El Paso and New Mexico as a distributor for Eagle Dog Food. And in retirement, Skip became an internationally recognized dog show judge and enjoyed traveling the globe to judge many dog shows.
Skip was born to Ralph Waldo Scoggins and Cecelia Caroline “Celia” (Weir) Scoggins on September 2, 1931, in El Paso, Texas, where he was raised and where he raised his families. Skip graduated from Austin High School, Texas Western College (now UTEP) and the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. He was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1962.
The majority of Skip’s legal career was as a sole practitioner, although he served as in-house council for the Employers’ Association of El Paso, Cashway Building Materials, Inc., Vowell Construction, Inc., and El Paso Sand Products, Inc. He was also an assistant city attorney for the City of El Paso and the first Civil Service Hearing Officer for the City of El Paso, as well as an Arbitrator and Mediator.
A distinguished veteran and public servant, Skip served as a pilot, flying B-25s, and a linguist in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean Conflict. He represented El Paso for three terms in the Texas House of Representatives, was judge of the 41st District Court in El Paso and was Republican County Chairman for El Paso County.
While the majority of his professional career was in El Paso, Skip retired in Dallas where he spent more than 30 years.
Skip’s legacy is one of service, intellect, and grace. He was laid to rest by his family with military honors, rendered by the Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) Honor Guard, in the Statesman Meadow at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin.
Skip is survived by his partner of 30 years, Mickey Dudley Russell; his son, Blake Scoggins (Melissa); his daughters: Valorie Foster, Julie Rutledge (Ray), Maria Wasinger (Chris), Elisa Taylor, Melanie Baily, Susanna Hufford, Ana Portillo (Mike), and Georgina Schroeder (Matt); his 21 grandchildren; his 15 great-grandchildren; his nieces: Sharon Butterworth and Sandy Swift (Gary Hodges); and Mickey’s children, Lezley Adams and Jeffrey Dudley, and her three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Skip was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Diemma “Jiggie” (Scoggins) Swift; and his niece, Samone (Swift) Willgrubs.
Skip’s unwavering spirit and boundless love will continue to inspire us all. His memory will live on in the hearts of his family, friends, and all those who he touched. As we say goodbye, we celebrate the remarkable life he led and the indelible mark he left on the community. Rest in peace, Skip. You will be deeply missed and forever cherished.
If you would like to honor Skip’s memory, consider a donation to the Animal Rescue League of El Paso or the North Texas Food Bank.
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