For 79-year-old Skip, the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, has been a lifelong passion. His involvement with the iconic New Year’s Day celebration dates back to his childhood when he would explore the float barns near his grandparents’ home in Altadena. “The story is that my grandparents lived in Altadena, up on Grandeur and Figueroa.” Skip recounts, “I kind of was raised by my grandparents because my grandfather and I were close. He always called me ‘pal.’”
On weekends, Skip’s grandparents would pick him up from his home in Monrovia and take him to their home in Altadena where he would wander the float barns, mesmerized by the sights and smells of the parade preparations. “I’d go in and snoop around the barn to see the floats being built,” he says. “I didn’t really understand how technical they were, the creativity and what was going on. The barns were filled with the sweet fragrance of the chrysanthemums, roses, orchids, ferns and other flowers that would adorn the elaborate floats.” One day, Skip met Isabella Coleman, the matriarch of the parade’s float-building operations. “She took a liking to me, and she knew I liked the floats because I was asking about how the floats were built, the flowers and asking how hard it was to drive a float,” he says. “I told her I would like to drive a float someday.” Isabella Coleman gave the young Skip a job, tasking him with running errands and helping around the float barn. As it turns out, she has a very special place in Skip’s life with the Tournament of Roses.
“Every day during Christmas vacation, I lived with my grandmother. She took me to the float barn at 8 o’clock, and I said, ‘Don’t pick me up until 8 tonight,’” Skip remembers. His duties included delivering messages and supplies between Coleman’s office and the various float-decorating crews. Skip’s involvement with the parade waned for a few years after his grandmother moved to Monrovia, but he remained a devoted spectator, even sleeping out overnight at Orange Grove and Colorado to secure a prime viewing spot.
In the 1960’s, he reconnected with the parade, this time working behind the scenes. He ended up welding frames and building animation, building anything to do with wood like decks and stairs, drawing on his construction experience working as a carpenter. “They said, ‘You’re perfect. You can do all the woodwork for us here,’” Skip says. Also, Skip was welding up the pencil rod with the artists/sculptors who were building the figures for the floats.
Over the years, Skip took on increasingly prominent roles, eventually becoming a Tournament of Roses member in 1980 after driving floats for 12 years and being a decorating supervisor for 5 years for companies like Dr. Pepper, Bank of America, cities of San Diego and Los Angeles. One of his favorite floats to drive was the Dr. Pepper entry, which featured an animated Roadrunner character. Dr. Pepper always wanted the animation award but wasn’t as interested in the other awards. “They always had the coolest, cleverest, and most animated float going down the parade route, always a showstopper. The horn to make the Roadrunner character beeping sound effect stopped working the night after the convoy to Pasadena.” Skip jerry-rigged a horn he took off his truck. Skip says that he could not let the Roadrunner go down the parade route without beeping, entertaining the crowd.
Skip is retired now after 38 years with the Los Angeles City Fire Department. His parade involvement reached an all-time high in 1986 when, as a Los Angeles City Firefighter, he drove the float for the Los Angeles Fire Department’s 100th anniversary celebration. He drove wearing his fire department dress uniform. He helped build the animation movements of a helicopter, the smoking of the old steamer fire engine, and a Dalmatian dog that rode on the float, going to great lengths to bring the elements to life. Though Skip’s last time driving a float was in 1986, he continues to stay involved through his role as an auxiliary member of the Judging Committee. The Rose Parade has remained a cherished part of his life. The sights, sounds, friends and memories of his decades-long involvement have left an indelible mark.
As he reflects on his time with the parade, it’s clear the annual celebration has been a cornerstone of joy in his life. At 79 years old, his enthusiasm hasn’t faded a bit. “My health is good, and after 46 years, I still love being part of it.” His passion for the floats is undeniable—a love that’s only grown stronger over the years. His connections to the Tournament of Roses run deep, intertwining with stories of family and friends. Through it all, his humility shines. “I’m just living the dream, and God’s been good to me.” For him, being part of the Judging Committee isn’t just about the floats, it’s about the stories and the happiness the parade brings to people. When asked what keeps him coming back to the Rose Parade Judging Committee year after year, he smiles and says, “I’m living the dream and am honored to be included in the Judging Committee. I hope to continue being active with the Tournament of Roses as long as God gives me good health.”
