Morris Milton Skinner

Morris M. Skinner from Fort Collins, Colorado died peacefully on Friday, May 22, 2026, surrounded by his family.


Morris was born on July 4, 1931 in Lisco, Nebraska to Lela (Woolsey) and Milton Morris Skinner. Morris grew up in many locations during his childhood including: Gordan, NE; Scottsbluff, NE; Terry, MT; Igloo SD; and in Ogallala, NE where he graduated high school in 1949. He obtained his pilot's license after graduating and enjoyed flying throughout his life.


Morris earned a B.S. (1954) and a M.S. (1955), both in civil engineering, from the University of Wyoming. In 1954, he trained at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He began his professional career at CSU in 1955 and earned his Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Colorado in 1971.

In April of 1965 he married the love of his life, Janice (Hensel) Skinner of West Point, NE. They made their home in Fort Collins, CO and together they raised three boys.

Morris worked as a professor of civil engineering at Colorado State University (CSU) for more than four decades. At CSU, he mainly taught hydraulics and engineering mechanics courses and was involved in bringing computer processing to the classroom and laboratory environments. He was a member of the hydraulics program and was in charge of the fluid mechanics laboratory. His research focused on groundwater recharge, use of bentonite to reduce seepage, cavitation studies, hydraulic modeling, and use of infrared imagery for hydraulic and hydrologic studies. In the 1970s, he pioneered airborne data collection procedures for infrared imagery and photography, as well as interpretation techniques applied to river systems.

Morris was a registered professional engineer in Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska. Over the course of his career, he received several honors, including the 1976 National Society of Professional Engineers Award for his contributions and dedication to the engineering profession and the 1980 and 1983 Chi Epsilon Gold Key Award for Outstanding Civil Engineering Professor. Upon his retirement in 1996, he became an emeritus professor.

Morris loved his family deeply and enjoyed many activities including: fishing, hiking, hunting, rock collecting, and daily walks.

Morris is survived by his wife Janice, their sons; Mark (Sue) Skinner of Brainerd, MN, Paul Skinner of Fort Collins, CO, and Craig (Heather) Skinner of Fort Collins, CO; six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; sister Wanda Armstrong of Ogallala, NE and sister-in-law Ruth Larson of Elkhorn, NE along with several nieces and nephews.

A funeral service will be held on Monday, June 8, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Fort Collins, CO. Visitation will be held one hour prior at the church with a reception following the service.