Login | December 26, 2025
Family and friends pay tribute to Akron attorney Archie W. Skidmore
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: December 26, 2025
He made the decision to practice law as a teenager, and that’s exactly what Archie Wallace Skidmore did for about 70 years, taking on high-profile cases and scoring numerous wins for his clients, while inspiring others to join the profession, including his three sons.
But on Oct. 2 Skidmore passed away at the age of 98 following a brief illness.
“Dad worked right up until the end,” said his son Eric Skidmore, a shareholder at Skidmore & Associates. “Everywhere he went he was embraced by colleagues and adversaries alike.
“He inspired all of his sons to go to law school,” said Eric. “Our dad believed in playing by the book and sought to level the playing field for all of his clients, regardless of their financial status.
“As a trial and commercial law attorney, he handled quite a few complex high-profile cases, winning many noteworthy cases while always adhering to the highest ethical standards.”
Skidmore’s son Brian, also a shareholder at Skidmore & Associates, said while his father was dedicated to his clients, he always put family first.
“Dad was a very caring parent,” said Brian. “He was, of course, involved in our schooling but also came to our ball games. In the summers he took us to the park to play baseball with him and in the fall, we played football in the front yard. He loved horses and got us involved in riding and caring for the animals.
“He also ingrained the law into his children at an early age. I worked at the firm from the time I was a teenager,” said Brian. “He taught us that professionalism and ethics were of the utmost importance. He urged us to avoid taking short cuts and put in the work.”
His second wife Kathy Kuhlman said Skidmore was her “hero,” adding she has never met a better person.
“During the 36 years we lived together, he made me a better person,” said Kathy. “You could not get close to Archie without becoming a better person; his focus was entirely on the other guy.
“Whether it was me, a client or a friend, it was always about how to encourage that person to be all they could be,” said Kathy.
In fact, she said it was Skidmore who urged her to go to law school at the age of 42.
“I had been working in food and retail management, and I knew that at some point it would become difficult to continue to do so because it was very physical,” she said. “Archie and I put our heads together and came up with law school because a law degree can be used for so many different things.
“My degree allowed me to take care of myself financially and physically,” said Kathy, who retired nine years ago from Progressive Insurance in Mayfield Village, where she worked as an in-house attorney for 18 years.
“I don’t know where I would be if I hadn’t met Archie; one thing I do know is that I wouldn’t have become a lawyer because I come from a family of engineers.”
Born on Oct. 6, 1926 in Tioga, West Virginia, he was the eldest of Cecil A. and Opal A. (Cutlip) Skidmore’s two sons.
The family moved to Akron in the early 1930s.
Prior to graduating from Springfield Township High School in 1948, he trained at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and served as private first class in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, receiving an honorable discharge.
He then attended Kent State University, where he majored in political science and minored in history.
Skidmore earned his juris doctor from the school now known as The University of Akron School of Law in 1954.
It was during law school that Skidmore first delved into residential and commercial real estate transactions while employed as a title examiner at Summit Title Company and Lawyers Title Insurance Company. He also worked in the real estate department of Evans Savings & Loan.
In 1955, he started his own practice, handling complex aspects of title, real estate, construction and business transactions and litigation.
Initially located at First National Tower, he shared office space with attorneys Robert Blakemore, Max Rothal, Charlie Church and George Danesis.
He also taught classes at the Banking Institute.
It wasn’t that long before Skidmore became known as a go-to attorney for cases involving mechanic’s liens and construction mortgages in Ohio.
In the early 1970s, Skidmore became a partner at Schwab, Sager, Grosenbaugh, Rothal, Fort, Skidmore & Nukes Co.
During his time at the firm, he took on a high-profile business litigation case that exposed an $11.2 million Ponzi investment scheme. He was also involved in the liquidation of a nationally known Akron-based children’s book publisher.
Later in his career, he handled a string of corporate lawsuits pertaining to the control of an Akron-based national distributor of beauty and barber supplies and the reorganization of a local machine company, whose executive was embroiled in a criminal investigation.
He also represented an entrepreneurial municipality in complex construction and commercial real estate transactions and took on cases involving the former BFGoodrich buildings, the Canal Square YMCA building, Canal Baseball Park, Quaker Square and Akron Fulton International Airport.
Retired Akron Law Director Max Rothal worked with Skidmore at Schwab, Sager, Grosenbaugh, Rothal, Fort, Skidmore & Nukes Co. and later retained him as special counsel for the city.
“I thought Archie was an excellent lawyer,” said Rothal. “He was a very kind person, who did a wonderful job as a professional. He had a very good analytical mind, was thorough and fought hard for his clients,” adding, “even in his 90s, he still went into the office a couple of times a week.
“He was a dedicated family man, especially in raising his three sons,” said Rothal.
Skidmore founded the firm now known as Skidmore & Associates in the second half of the 1970s. It handles matters ranging from probate, estate and family law to real estate, commercial banking litigation and transactions.
His sons Brian and Eric joined the firm in 1986 and 1989, respectively.
Skidmore’s youngest son Thomas started his own practice, Thomas A. Skidmore Co., in 1988.
“My dad guided me toward law school when I was a sophomore at Bowling Green State University,” said Thomas, who focuses on personal injury and complex business litigation.
“I was pretty much lacking direction at the time. I was very lucky to have someone as supportive as my dad, who set me on the path that has allowed me to have a great career and a wonderful life.
“My father taught me about the importance of family, and he’s inspired me to give back. I’ve taught mock trial at Revere High School for the last 15 years.
“For my dad, the law was about helping people and not big money,” said Thomas. “I have followed in his footsteps in that way. He always told me don’t let good people fall through the cracks.”
Skidmore mentored quite a few attorneys throughout the years, including Spiros Vasilatos Jr., who joined Skidmore & Associates in 1984.
“I practiced with Archie for about 41 years,” said Vasilatos. “Archie was my mentor and a father figure to me. He was very good at coming up with unique ideas and ways to approach cases.
“Our offices were next to each other for many years, and we talked almost daily,” said Vasilatos. “He was a very kind and giving person; even though he was the firm’s founder he would always listen to my opinion on cases.
“Though he fought hard for his clients in and out of the courtroom, his demeanor was that of a gentleman’s lawyer,” he said. “He was very thoughtful; even at age 98 he would bring donuts into the office for everyone.”
Sole practitioner Donald Hicks also considered Skidmore a mentor.
“Archie taught me many things about the law when I was a young lawyer,” said Hicks. “He truly helped shape my career. He was a natural teacher, who was happy to share his time and knowledge with young lawyers.
“He was always available to me if I had a question,” said Hicks. “Archie lived a wonderful life and was a very good person. I’m blessed to have called him a friend.”
A longtime member of the Akron and Ohio State bar associations, Skidmore received the Bradford M. “Buck” Gearinger Professionalism Award from the Akron Bar Association in 2020.
In an earlier interview with the Akron Legal News, Skidmore said he was “stunned” when he learned he’d been chosen.
“I never expected to receive an award for treating the law as a profession,” Skidmore said.
Outside of the law, Skidmore was an avid reader and loved animals, raising rabbits, dogs and ducks over the years.
He enjoyed horseback riding and tending to the family farm in Medina County, where he built a home in the 2000s. He also spent time traveling to Sanibel, Florida with his wife Kathy.
On Oct. 10, Skidmore was laid to rest at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery during a private burial ceremony with military honors.
He is survived by his wife Kathleen Kuhlman, his sons Brian (Ellie Heijnen), Eric (Nancy Tassiello) and Thomas (Kelly Ashe) and his grandchildren Eric, Sarah, Kyle, Jack and Lauren (Noah) Benza. His first great-grand child is expected in January 2026.
He also leaves behind his brothers- and-sister-in-law John (Patricia) Kuhlman, Charles Kuhlman and Barbara Kuhlman along with many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Robert D. Skidmore.