Ethan Sockwell

At the moment of sunset on February 22, 2023, Ethan "Skip" Sockwell, 75, surrendered his long, courageous battle with metastatic cancer and died at home with his partner by his side.  He was a kind, loving, generous man, a hero and a gentleman.

Ethan was born and raised in East Texas. Drafted into the US Army in 1969, Ethan was trained as an artillery specialist to be deployed in Vietnam, but instead served his time in Wurzburg, Germany. While in Europe, he learned to snow ski and enjoyed visiting different countries. He continued his love of travel by visiting Japan, Scotland, Greece, Belize and Mexico among other countries during his lifetime. Upon returning home, Ethan completed his BA in Marketing from Lamar University in 1972 and moved to Houston, where he had a career of over two decades. He retired at the age of 48. In 1999, Ethan moved to Taos and continued life as an artist. He combined his love of beauty, texture, art, antiques, design and building skills into creating and redesigning homes. He was extremely proud that his homes in Houston and Taos were on the Home and Garden Tours. Ethan lived an active, healthy and athletic lifestyle with great focus and drive. He was an avid skier, tennis player, weightlifter and scuba diver. He was also a member of the Taos Gospel Choir for eighteen years, a passion in which he shone with every emotive, soulful note he sang. A self-described spiritual seeker, Ethan was open to the Divine Presence in every aspect of life and spent many hours in meditation, contemplation and prayer.  

Ethan was a delightful, charming man-about-town and will be remembered as a friend who generously shared his time and talents with others. In the last seven years of his life, Ethan found his greatest happiness and soulmate, but not in the form that he had on his vision board. Instead, he found a love that was true, loyal, loving, challenging, full of laughter and a “size mismatch” which he forever laughed at and would ask God, "What were you thinking?"  It was a relationship that transformed them both. Ethan asked Mona to marry him and proudly wore his wedding ring even though his wish was not able to be fulfilled. 

Ethan was preceded in death by his parents Herman and Pauline Sockwell, and by his sisters Joy, Rita and Jill. He is survived by his fiancée, Mona Silkwood, many lifelong loving and supportive friends, several nieces, nephews and cousins. Ethan wishes to be remembered for how he lived his life and by who he was to his partner and friends. "Doing the Right Thing" was Ethan's guiding North Star.

A Celebration of Life is planned for late Spring.

The family of Ethan “Skip” Sockwell has entrusted the care of their loved one to DeVargas Funeral Home of Taos.  866-657-4019 www.devargastaos.com