Mort Skirboll remembered for kindness, sense of humor

There was something different about Mort Skirboll — Bunny Skirboll recognized it the day they met.

He had a kindness to him, an easygoing nature and a tendency to make people laugh. Even on their first date in college, Bunny knew it was something special.

“I told (my mother) afterwards that ‘I think that’s somebody I can spend the rest of my life with,’” Skirboll said.

They ended up spending 59 years together — she says he was the wind beneath her wings. His penchant for kindness and humor became well-known to everyone who met Mort in Sarasota and Longboat Key for the 16 years he called the area his home. 

Morton Jay Skirboll died April 7 of complications from the COVID-19 virus. He was 82. 

“Mort walked out of the house (to the paramedics)” Skirboll said. “... I never in a million years thought I would never see him again.”

Mort and Bunny moved from Pittsburgh to Rochester, N.Y., where he founded the Liquitane plastic container manufacturing company. Which isn’t to say he kept himself at a distance — Bunny says her husband was often helping out personally whenever and wherever he could.  

“He never asked (his employees) to do anything he wouldn’t do in manufacturing,” Bunny said. “He even got a trucker’s license … if (an employee) didn’t show up, he could drive the truck if he had to.”

That empathy carried over to Longboat Key when he and Bunny bought a house here more than 15 years ago. Mort soon became a supporter of Compeer Sarasota, the mental health organization where Bunny served as CEO. He was proud of his Jewish heritage and was a genial patron of the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee. 

Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee CEO Howard Tevlowitz said Mort was, simply put, an ubermensch. 

“He had a great sense of humor and room presence,” Tevlowitz said. "... (Mort and Bunny) wouldn't stand out in in a room because of their height, they would stand out because of their stature."

Not that he was interested in talking about his accomplishments. When he accompanied his wife to Sarasota’s many philanthropic events, he would often just tell people that he was Bunny Skirboll’s husband. 

“He always believed in giving back but he never wanted for himself,” Bunny said. “...I received a card last week from our mail carrier saying he would miss Mort. I mean, how many people actually talk to their mail carrier? He just treated everybody the same and … he never forgot where he came from.”

He played golf almost every day of the week and saved Sundays for games with Bunny. 

Though they often joked they had no need to travel since they lived in paradise, Mort and Bunny were passionate about travel and made sure to plan a lengthy trip every fall. Bunny is grateful they bumped up a trip to Israel to this past New Year’s instead of the originally planned April. 

More than anything, Bunny hopes people remember Mort for his sense of humor and his kindness to everyone he met. 

Mort is survived by his wife Bunny and his two children Stephen Skirboll and Lisa Axelrod. To honor Mort's legacy, Bunny recommends donating to a charity of people’s choosing.