Glenn “Skip” Harper Surguine, 76, passed away in Carrollton, Texas, on February 12, 2025.
Born on April 19, 1948, in San Francisco, CA, Skip’s family relocated to Southern California in 1963 as he was entering 10th grade. He graduated from Warren High School in Downey, CA, in 1966, where he enjoyed playing the tuba in the school band and served as drum major for a season. He went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Music from UC Long Beach in 1971 and later obtained his Master’s degree in Journalism from Marquette University in 1992.
From 1973 to 1989, Skip was active in the film industry, working on both film and television productions. He contributed to notable films such as Norma Rae, The Swarm, Wildcats, and The Octagon, as well as television series like Starsky and Hutch and Medical Center. He was a member of the Directors Guild of America, and he took great pride in his Hollywood legacy, a sentiment shared by his family.
Those who knew Skip will remember him as a kind and compassionate man – a red-letter Christian who lived by his faith, always seeking to help those less fortunate, even when he had little to give. Skip had a gift for making friends wherever he went, striking up conversations with everyone he met – much to his children’s affectionate exasperation. He was a lover of bad puns and dad jokes, the great outdoors, books about faith, history, and nature, classical and jazz music, NPR, and, of course, TV and film (those who knew him at the end never had to wonder what he was watching).
Skip is survived by his former wife, Joan Bryant (née Kilpatrick). He is forever cherished and remembered by his children: Christopher and his wife, Jacki; and Nicholas and his wife, Kali. He is also lovingly remembered by his five grandchildren: Elliott, Chloe, and Colette, children of Chris and Jacki; and Avery and Aiden, children of Nick and Kali.
He is also survived by his siblings: Harold Surguine and his partner, Cathy; and Beverly Feller and her husband, Richard. He is lovingly remembered by his nieces and nephews: Sophie, Adrian, and Emily Surguine, children of Harold and his former spouse, Danielle; Megan Foreman (née Feller) and her husband, Eric; and Charles Feller, children of Beverly and Richard. He is further survived by his great-niece and great-nephew, Jack and Harper, children of Megan and Eric Foreman.
Skip was preceded in death by his parents, Glenn Hampton Surguine and Beatrice Harper Surguine, and his beloved dog and faithful companion, Otis. A proud California native, he will be laid to rest according to his final wishes, beside his parents in Rose Hills Cemetery, Los Angeles.
A Celebration of Life service to honor Skip will be held on March 1, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. at Cross Church Indy, 4540 Madison Ave, Indianapolis, IN, USA. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to help cover his final expenses: https://www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-the-life-of-glenn-skip-surguine
Glenn “Skip” Harper Surguine, 76, passed away in Carrollton, Texas, on February 12, 2025. Born on April 19, 1948, in San Francisco, CA, Skip’s family relocated to Southern California in 1963 as he was entering 10th grade. He graduated from Warren High School in Downey, CA, in 1966, where he enjoyed playing the tuba inContinue Reading
