Bill "Moose" Skowron, who grew up in Chicago, attended Purdue on a football scholarship and then became a baseball star with the White Sox and Yankees, has died at age 81.



Skowron, who has worked as a White Sox community ambassador the last few years, died Thursday night of congestive heart failure at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights after winning a battle over lung cancer.



Showron's fame came mostly as a first baseman on the Yankee teams of the late '50s and early '60s. He played three seasons for the White Sox starting in 1964.



In 1965, he was selected to one of his eight All-Star teams. He also appeared on eight World Series teams, five of them champions.



Skowron, a graduate of Weber High School, batted .282 with 211 home runs during a 14-year career.



"We all have lost a dear, dear friend today," said White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. "While Moose may have become a star in New York with the Yankees, he was a Chicagoan through and through. I certainly will miss his priceless stories about Casey Stengel, Roger Maris, Hank Bauer and of course, his good friend, Mickey Mantle.



"A few years ago, we started a tradition of holding monthly lunches here at the ballpark, and the laughter and conversation always centered around Moose. My guess is that right now Mickey, Roger, Hank and Moose are enjoying a good laugh together."



He is survived by his wife, Lorraine "Cookie;" daughter Lynnette (husband Steve), and granddaughter Addyson; son Greg (wife Sheryl) and grandsons Jordan, Grant and Blake; and son Steve. Skowron also is survived by his brother Edward (wife Dorothy and daughter Lisa).



Visitation will be held from 2-9 p.m. Monday at Colonial-Wojciechowski Funeral Home in Niles with funeral mass set for 10 a.m. Tuesday at Queen of All Saints Basilica in Chicago.





dvandyck@tribune.com