WESTFIELD – Zane B. Skerry (1942 – 2022) of Westfield passed away on August 27th, 2022, surrounded by her family and loved ones. She was the daughter of William and Freda (Broga) George. She was born on December 11, 1942, and was raised in Westfield. She was a graduate of the WHS class of 1960.
She leaves behind her sister, Dale Dickson, her niece, Ellen Jordan, her husband, Michael and two great-nephews, Sam and Ben. She also leaves her very best friend, Nelson Davila and his family. Her beloved Yorkie, Papi Chulo, joined her in heaven shortly after her passing. She has joined several family members and friends who have passed before her, and her family is sure she has talked them into listening to blues music. She had many other treasured close friends who stood by her until the end.
Zane was an incredible person, who made the world better for thousands of young barbers. She began working for a prominent men’s hairstylist in 1971, and within two years had earned the title of Master Barber. She opened her own shop, Zane’s Men’s Hair Stylist in Agawam. After cutting hair for over a decade, she became both the director and head instructor of Brom’s Barber School in Holyoke. She spent 25 years working for the Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure. In 1999, she was made president of the National Association of Barber Boards of America. In 2007, Zane became the first woman ever inducted into the Barber’s Hall of Fame. Those weren’t the career achievements she was most proud of, however. Zane was most proud of her time working with the Department of Corrections. She helped to open barber schools in five prisons across the state of Massachusetts. She truly believed that if these men learned a trade, they would be less likely to return. She helped hundreds of men turn their lives around. The family is very touched by the outpouring of support and communication from so many people. They did not realize that she had touched so many lives.
A Funeral Home Service will be held on Sunday, September 11, 2022, at 1PM in the Firtion Adams Funeral Service, 76 Broad Street, Westfield, MA 01085. Visiting hours will precede the service from 11AM-1PM in the funeral home. Burial will private and at the convenience of her family. Donations in her memory can be sent to Youth Programs – Westfield Evangelical Free Church (WEFC), 568 Southwick Road, Westfield, MA 01085. They arrived at her house one day and raked her very large yard, just because they thought she might need some help. She was so impressed with their program. www.firtionadams.com
