In Loving Memory of Rylee Nicole Skillman
September 30, 1996 – June 12, 2025

The family welcomes you to join them in celebrating Rylee's life Saturday, June 21, 2025 at 1:00 pm for a prayer service. A visitation will follow 2-4 pm at Miller Funeral Home, Downtown location, 507 S. Main Ave, Sioux Falls, SD. 57104.

Rylee Nicole Skillman, 28, passed away on June 12, 2025, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, after an eight-year battle with addiction — a journey she walked with raw honesty, deep feeling, and undeniable courage.

Rylee was born and raised in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where she attended Christ the King, St. Mary's, O'Gorman Junior High, and O'Gorman High School. Later, she pursued her passion for beauty and expression at Stewart's School of Cosmetology.

From the beginning, Rylee lived with a spirit that couldn't be contained. She was a wild heart — independent, rebellious, and endlessly creative. She didn't just follow her own path; she carved it, often barefoot, often laughing, and always with music playing somewhere in the background. Her energy filled every room she entered — unpredictable and unforgettable.

Rylee was awarded in the South Dakota State High School Art Competition in 2017 for her talent, a reflection of the way she turned emotion into something you could see and feel. Rylee had a deep sensitivity that showed up in her art, in her friendships, and in the quiet way she cared for those who were hurting — whether people or animals. Some of the pets that she loved: Estella, Bemo, Miko, Oscar, Lucy, Caprie, Willy, Nyla, Lolli, Schoonie, Nova, Stella, Bonnie, Retro, Poncho, Pookie, Gypsy, Bes, Nipsey, Luna, Cali, Cooper, Charlie, Sam, Wort, Gorgie, and Sand just to name a few that she rescued, loved, and cherished. Rylee could be seen often carrying her pets snuggled in her backpack.

She adored her sisters, Madie and Ava fiercely — they were her anchor, her best friends, her safe place. No matter what struggles she faced, her love for them never wavered. That bond was unconditional, and it grounded her even in life's most chaotic moments.

Her life was not defined by addiction. It was defined by passion, laughter, movement, and color. She was a free spirit in the truest sense — someone who resisted confinement, who craved experience, and who loved without filter or fear. She had a way of making others feel alive simply by being herself.

May Rylee be remembered in moments of boldness, in flashes of creativity, in acts of wild kindness. And may she now find the peace she so often gave to others, even when it was hard to find for herself. In her words, "I can only pray to the universe to find peace in my mind and heart to help separate me from my addiction and to help me find the beautiful life I dream of living."

She will be deeply missed by her father, Joe Skillman; mother, Tammy (Geoff Ellerbroek) Skillman; sisters, Madie (Thad Femrite) and Ava Skillman; grandmother, Janice Skillman; aunts, Tonia (Jay) Pierce and Jessica (Chad) Anderson; uncles, David (Katie) Hantz, Dean Skillman, Jerry Skillman, and Marty (Jeannie) Skillman; cousins, Doug, Tim, Sam, Parker, Ethan, Sophia, Brody, Corbin, Olivia, Mckenzie, Nick, Nathan, and Sarah; special friends, Matt, Garner, Lena, Ryan, James, Priscilla; her extended family. And many friends whose lives were changed by knowing her.

Preceding Rylee in death are grandparents, John and Gayle Hantz; grandfathers, Martin Skillman; uncle, Jim Skillman and dear friend, Emily Groth.

Memorials may be directed to Emily's Hope.     https://emilyshope.charity/