Disney Silhouette Artist, Holly Harwood Skolkin Passes Away

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Holly-Harwood-Skolkin
Holly-Harwood-Skolkin

Considered by many as one of the universe’s kindest people, and perhaps, highest evolved souls, former silhouette artist, Holly Harwood Skolkin passes peacefully. Holly, was the daughter of Doris and Earl Harwood, a fine artist, and attorney. Holly was always upbeat and precious, and very talented, in all arts. She is survived by her sister, Bonny Cotlar, an intellect and humanitarian, and Cindi Harwood Rose, an internationally acclaimed silhouette artist, who also worked for Disneyland and Disneyworld.

Holly’s struggle with stage 4 cancer for over 15 years, inspired Holly, Cindi, and Cindi’s husband, Dr. Franklin Rose, a renowned plastic and reconstructive surgeon, to form The Rose Ribbon Foundation 501 ( c ) ( 3 ), a non-profit which provides free reconstruction to those uninsured and underinsured. Holly remarkably was able to help others throughout her cancer opportunity, giving blessings, and doing good deeds. She was also an accomplished photographer, who became a master at inner-eye photography and diagnosing disease. Some of her peers claim that Holly Harwood Skolkin was one of the first to detect AIDS in the eye, from photos she had taken. Her husband, Dr. Mark Skolkin, is a famed radiologist, who stood by her side throughout her long sickness. It was amazing how she would find pleasure in bringing food to those sick, when she was sick, or buying clothes for the poor, but not buying clothes for herself. More than 1,400 came to her funeral, and she was buried in 1 ½ days.

She is survived by her beautiful children, Emory, who works in development at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital and Dayna, a nursing student at University of Texas in Austin. Holly was an incredible mother, friend, wife, and sister, great artist, award winning photographer, and ICON in the realm of giving to many causes. She especially loved the Aishel House which provides kosher meals, housing, transportation, and child care to critically sick families who come to Houston for its wonderful medical center, considered the best in the world. Another cause that Holly served on the board on is The River, which provides art, dance, and theatre lessons to children with challenges and disabilities, including Down Syndrome, loss of sight, CP, CF, hearing impaired.

Some people call Holly, “Holly Lama, Wholy Holly (for making ill people feel whole), Holly Dolly, a guru, a saint, a mensch, and a Tzadic. Her huge smile and bright eyes, and kind heart, shown even moments before she passed. Because of her legacy, and inspiration the Rose Ribbon Foundation will soon be called the Holly Rose Ribbon Foundation. Presently, it can be found at http://roseribbon.org/ and donations can be made on-line. Silhouettes can be ordered as donations by logging on to silhouettesbycindi.com to contribute towards Silhouettes for Survivors. For more information on Holly and Cindi, check out American Profile Magazine’s story on Cindi Harwood Rose’s silhouettes for cancer survivors. Holly Harwood Skolkin was a hero, a humanitarian, and perhaps, the most loved human on earth. Her good deeds will live on forever, she is a silhouette of a lovely, kind, great human, some say one of the top 12 souls that walked the earth of this generation.

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