A suburban boy honors his late father’s love for Halloween with a garden display

CRYSTAL LAKE, Illinois — An 11-year-old from Crystal Lake has come up with a unique way to honor his late father: Halloween decorations.

Gavin Sckiackitano’s father, Jeff Sckiackitano, was a huge Halloween fan. He proposed to his wife on Halloween and even had a daughter who was born on Halloween. Needless to say, the family yard was always decked out in all its spooky glory.

This is the first Halloween without him. Sckiackitano lost his battle with stage four cancer this year.

As Halloween approached, Gavin’s mom, Denise Sckiackitano, realized her son was having a rough time.

Until Gavin decided to use his father’s favorite holiday to honor him.

He would go into the garage, hammer, weld and attach small motors to his handcrafted creations. The commotion caught the attention of several neighborhood children, who gathered to watch from the driveway.

“The thing I hear the most is, ‘Does your mom know you do this?'” Gavin said.

She did. Denise Sckiackitano said it was bittersweet to watch Gavin pick up where his father left off.

“It’s just amazing to see him building all this stuff. I know Jeff would be so proud,” she said.

When the Crystal Lake Home Depot heard that Gavin was using his birthday money to buy yard decorations, they invited him to come over and pick out what he liked for free.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Gavin said. “All I could say was ‘Wow!'”.

One of the store managers had also lost his own father earlier this year.

“His heart was out there for Gavin. It was just a very special morning. We were all in tears at Home Depot,” said Denise Sckiackitano.

Since then, Gavin has spent countless hours installing glowing pumpkins, purple lights, and a grim reaper guaranteed to make even the most experienced jump.

More information about the Home Depot Foundation can be found here. The family also set up a GoFundMe page

“This court means everything to Gavin right now,” said Denise Sckiackitano.

Her garden is bathed in spirit and light, hoping it will be bright enough for a father to see from above.