David Peterson Skinner
May 9, 1952 – July 26, 2026
David Peterson Skinner was born May 9, 1952 in Bear Lake Memorial Hospital in Montpelier Idaho, the son of Earnest Morgan and Mabel Peterson Skinner of Grace, Idaho.
Earnest, Mabel and Family moved their family from Grace to the Skinner Ranch in Nounan, in 1954, where David continued to enjoy his childhood and youth on the ranch. In 1958, Earnest and Mabel and family moved to Mesa Arizona, returning to the ranch each summer. David’s entire public education was within the Mesa Public School system.
In 1971, after graduating from Mesa High School, David accepted a call to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, being called to serve in the Kentucky – Tennessee Mission, where he served honorably for two years.
After returning home, he met and married Janet Ricks December 6, 1973. They had 4 children.
David started working at various opportunities after his mission, one of which took his family to Utah (West Jordan). He eventually came back to Mesa to manage a sporting goods store for his brother, Morgan. David finally applied to and was accepted to work for Valley National Bank (Chase Bank), which had him relocate, as bank employees do, to Superior AZ, and then to Wilcox AZ. These opportunities and changes of branches allowed him to acquire and hone his people skills.
Eventually he applied for and joined VNB’s Agricultural Loan division where he
built a very successful loan portfolio with consistently high returns for the bank, as he worked with many of the farmers throughout Arizona, and their agricultural needs to operate their respective farms. His loan to loss ratio was always some of the lowest numbers in all of the Ag loan field, far below the industry averages. David continued his “AG Banker” career with VNB, which eventually merged with and became Bank One and then later became Chase Bank. Eventually, David chose to leave Chase and joined Wells Fargo Bank, where he built a similar portfolio with a similar loan to loss ratio. He retired from Wells Fargo and Ag Banking in 2019.
David & Janet divorced in 1997. He later met, courted and married Janis Rowley (Furnell), February 16, 2002. They were sealed May 3, 2003 in the Snowflake Arizona Temple.
Throughout his adult life David had the opportunity of serving in many different callings in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including as Bishop, High Council member and Temple Worker. He and Janis were able to serve together as Temple Workers in the Logan Utah Temple, while living in Preston Idaho and the Dallas Texas Temple, while living in Plano. He considered this, as one of the highlights of his life.
David made his final transfer Sunday evening July 26, 2026. He is preceded by his parents, Earnest and Mabel Skinner, brothers, Morgan and Charles, bother, Virgil Clark, and a great grandson, James Paden Mortensen.
David is survived by his bride Janis; siblings, Steve “Stephen” (Marlene) of Logan UT, Shauna Clark, Joel (Janell), and Dan “Daniel” ( Laura), all of Mesa AZ; children, Melissa (Randy) Gardner, of Queen Creek, AZ, Mindee (Terrel) Mortensen, of Preston, ID, David Jr (Dendi), of Oro Valley, AZ, Mariane (Ryan) Welchman, of Safford AZ, Vance (McKenzie), of Plano TX, Pamela Hoopes, Tricia (Michael) Jensen of San Tan Valley, AZ, Jamie Wiles of Queen Creek, AZ, Charles (Beki) Furnell of Queen Creek, AZ, and Nick Furnell of San Tan Valley, AZ; 37 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren still here in this life.
Visitation will be Thursday, August 6, 2026 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM:
San Tan Mountain View Funeral Home
& Advanced Planning Center
21809 S Ellsworth Rd
Queen Creek, AZ
Services will be Friday August 7, 2026, at 10:30 AM at the:
Anthem Ward Building
85 W Van Haren Ave
Florence, AZ 85132
Interment will be at San Tan Memorial Gardens in Queen Creek.