Rylee Nicole Skillman lived her life in full color—vivid, untamed, and unforgettable. With a flash of red hair and a heart that felt everything deeply, she entered the world ready to carve her own path. Born and raised in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Rylee grew up with a bold spirit and a creative fire that would shape every part of her journey.
She attended Christ the King, St. Mary’s, and both O’Gorman Junior High and High School before following her love for beauty and self-expression to Stewart’s School of Cosmetology. Rylee had a gift—not just for hair and style—but for turning emotion into art. In 2017, she was recognized in the South Dakota State High School Art Competition, a testament to her talent and to the depth of her inner world.
Rylee’s light was magnetic. She filled rooms with energy, laughter, and music. She wasn’t one to follow the rules—she was a free spirit who danced to her own rhythm, often barefoot, with a beloved pet tucked into her backpack and the next adventure always on her mind. She loved fiercely, especially her sisters, Madie and Ava, who were her anchor, her constant, and her safe place. Her love for them never faltered, no matter how turbulent the storms she faced.
To know Rylee was to witness an open-hearted tenderness. She rescued and cared for more animals than most people could name. 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—these were not just pets, they were companions, each deeply loved and cherished. Rylee gave comfort and care to the voiceless, often when she had so little comfort herself.
Her battle with addiction began in young adulthood and lasted for eight long years—a struggle she faced with honesty, vulnerability, and incredible strength. Recovery was not a straight line. Rylee experienced moments of hope, of progress, and of possibility. She tried. She fought. She dreamed of a beautiful life beyond addiction. In her own 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.”
That dream was always alive in her, even when the disease kept dragging her back. On June 12, 2025, Rylee died from an overdose in Oklahoma City. Her passing marked the end of a long, exhausting battle—one that she fought with more courage than most will ever understand.
But her story does not begin and end with addiction. Rylee’s life was filled with movement, passion, kindness, and creativity. She was a daughter, a sister, a granddaughter, a friend. She was an artist, an animal lover, and a beautiful soul who wanted to heal and grow. She loved deeply and was deeply loved in return.
Her absence is a crushing loss to her parents, Tammy and Joe; her sisters, Madie and Ava; and her extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends—too many to count, each carrying a memory of her wild laugh, her wide-open heart, and her unique, shining light.
Years earlier, Rylee stood on a front porch in a pink dress, wrapped in a long embrace with her dear friend Emily at her graduation party. They were full of plans and laughter, ready to take on the world. That moment captured so much of who Rylee was: bright, alive, full of love. Now, both are gone—two young women whose lives were stolen by substance use disorder. Two girls who mattered. Who still matters.
Leave a Reply