James Skeffington, part of the group that recently bought the Pawtucket Red Sox, passed away Sunday while jogging near his Rhode Island home. He was 73.
“Jim was an extremely loyal and charitable man who, in his all too brief time with the PawSox, relished his new role as club president,” the team said in a statement Monday afternoon. “He enjoyed learning all he could about the PawSox operation and meeting fans, staff, and players.”
The PawSox president’s sudden death was a surprise and saddened many not only in the PawSox community, but the Boston Red Sox as well.
“All of us with the Boston Red Sox and the Pawtucket Red Sox have suffered an enormous loss, both personally and professionally,” Red Sox president and PawSox chairman Larry Lucchino said in a statement.
Skeffington and the rest of the new ownership group pledged to keep the PawSox in Rhode Island.
“Skeff was passionately devoted to his home state, a land he loved with all his heart,” Lucchino added. “He loved virtually every sport he encountered, especially baseball, and he seemed to attend every sporting event he could. He was deeply committed to the PawSox and to ensuring a bright future for the franchise in Rhode Island. We will miss his spirit, his optimism, and his joviality. We will miss his knowledge, his intellect, and his wisdom.”
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@PawSox
