Skip Yowell was born on July 5, 1946, in Hays, Kan and died on October 13, 2015.

He was an American businessman, the co-founder of Jansport.

Harold and Marjorie Yowell was his parents.

He studied at Wichita State and Fort Hays State University.

Skip left college in Kansas to join his cousin Murray Pletz for a starry-eyed venture in Seattle.

His cousin Pletz had won a design for a flexible aluminum backpack frame competition.

Jan Lewis was his girlfriend at the time, whom he wanted to sow the bag packs, but promised he would name the bag packs after her, that is how the name ‘Jansport’ came about.

The packs became very popular all over the world and they made millions.

Skip worked at JanSport’s as the vice president of global public relations, and retired in 2010.

One of the books he wrote in 2007, called, “The Hippie Guide to Climbing the Corporate Ladder and Other Mountains”.

Skip climbed mountains around the world and was on the support team for a 1984 ascent of Everest.

Yowell also was active in outdoor-oriented philanthropies, including Big City Mountaineers, a group that introduces inner-city teens to the nature.

Skip went on an expedition to Kanchenjunga, a peak in Nepal, in 1989.

He left behind his wife, Winnie Kingsbury, daughter, sister, brother, stepdaughter Wesley Kingsbury, stepson Hunt Kingsbury, and five grandchildren.

Skip Yowell passed away at 69 yrs old.