Obituary of Abraham A. "Skip" Gonyou Jr.

MADRID – Funeral services for 50 year old Abraham A. "Skip" Gonyou Jr., Madrid, will be held on Tuesday, July 2, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at the Buck Funeral Home in Norwood with Rev. Lee Sweeney presiding. Family and friends may call at the Buck Funeral Home in Norwood on Monday, July 1, 2019 from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Burial will be held at the Calvary Cemetery in Norwood following the services and there will be a reception at the American Legion in Norwood following the burial, all are welcome to attend. Skip passed away late Thursday evening, June 27, 2019 at the Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg with his family by his side after losing his battle to Cancer. Born in Canton, NY on October 12, 1968 to Abraham and Patricia (Farmer) Gonyou, he is survived by his two sons, Nathan Gonyou and his companion Katelyn Bean, Canton; Thomas Gonyou, Madrid; his daughter, Sondra and Ben LaRose, Potsdam; his father, Abraham "Sonny" and Lillian (Cuthbert) Gonyou, Norwood; his two sisters, Tina Gonyou and her companion Wayne Cox, Stockholm and Diana Allen and her companion Jeremy Pruner, Norwood as well as many nieces and nephews and his dog, Eva. Skip was also expected to become a first time 'Papa' to two grandbabies later this year. He was pre-deceased by his mother, Patricia Gonyou. Skip graduated from Norwood-Norfolk Central High School and BOCES Seaway Tech in 1986. Following graduation, his first job was at Blevins Motors in Potsdam and over the years, went on to gain experience in many local garages and shops such as Massena Chrysler Plymouth, Monro Muffler, Potsdam Tire and Auto and Scanlon's Auto Parts. In 1993, Skip knew that his passion was to build his own Auto Repair business, known today as Skip's Auto Repair and Towing. He was very committed to his lifelong dream of serving his community 24 hours a day/7 days a week while fixing and inspecting vehicles, towing, U-Haul rentals and expanding his dealership all while knowing that someday his boys would take over and continue doing what he started. On April 30, 1988, he married Laura L. Taylor and they were married for twenty years. Skip and Laura had three beautiful children together before separating however, stayed close and became very good friends to continue raising their family. He enjoyed participating in bike runs, four wheeling, and camping during the summer. His true passion however, was his garage. His life revolved around his shop and he loved to work on anything that had a motor. Memorial donations in Skip's memory can be made to the family or to Skip's Auto Repair to help with the garage as it continues to grow under ownership of his boys. Memories and condolences may be shared online at www.buckfuneralhome.com . The Buck Funeral Home in Norwood is serving the family of Abraham A. "Skip" Gonyou Jr.