Mitchell 'Mike' Sklar, 93, longtime owner of a Washington sportsequipment store and a local professional basketball team in the1950s, died of heart disease Nov. 5 at Sunrise Assisted LivingCommunity in Rockville.
Mr. Sklar, widely known as 'Coach,' owned and operated Mitchel'sSport Shop in three Northwest locations over the years: first at14th and Gerard streets, then at Wisconsin Avenue and AlbemarleStreet, and finally at the Chevy Chase Center. As a 70-year-old, hespotted someone stealing four boxes of New Balance sneakers from hisshop and chased the perpetrator out of the store and down to theMetro until the thief dropped the shoes, his family said.
In the 1950s, Mr. Sklar started a pro basketball team he calledthe D.C. All-Stars, popularly known as 'Sklar's Stars.' The rosterwas made up of All-American collegiate stars and future NBA starssuch as Elgin Baylor and Dick Groat. The newspapers reported in 1955that he was talking to the NBA about starting a pro franchise, butnothing came of it.
He was a man who loved sports, including the Washington Redskins.Three weeks before his death, when he was barely speaking, he turnedfrom the television to his relatives and said his only intelligiblewords of the day: 'Boy, that Sonny Jurgensen looks younger everyyear.'
A Washington native, Mr. Sklar graduated from McKinley TechnicalHigh School. He caught batting practice with Walter 'Big Train'Johnson of the Washington Senators and was a good friend of BostonCeltics coach Red Auerbach's.
Mr. Sklar started his sporting goods shop in the 1940s and solduniforms and gear to many area high schools and colleges until heretired in 1990. He became friends with Jim Tatum, coach of theUniversity of Maryland football team from 1947 to 1955, andtraveled with the team.
Well-dressed and talkative, he also was an excellent dancer.
He was one of the founders of the Norbeck Country Club and laterplayed golf at Woodmont Country Club, where he also was captain ofthe tennis team. He was a member of the Amity Club of Washington andthe Samuel Gompers Lodge.
Survivors include his wife of 69 years, Adele Sklar of Rockville;two daughters, Susan Goldstein of Kensington and Linda Rich ofRockville; five grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.
