Victor Schilling

We celebrate the life and love of Victor Schilling, who entered eternal life on Dec. 2. He is survived by Lila, his wife of 61 years, and his five children: daughter, Marcia Wood and husband, Ken, of Colorado Springs; son, Tim Schilling and wife, Bonnie, of Windsor; daughter, Susan Merrick and husband, Garth, of Amarillo, Texas; daughter, Sara Everitt and husband, Stan, of Windsor; and daughter, Polly Hays and husband, John, of Hereford, Texas. He is also survived by his sister, Florence Otzenberger; twelve grandchildren, eight step-grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Alexander, a farmer, and Eva, a cleaning lady and an infant brother. A proud Colorado native, Vic was born in Wellington on June 2, 1925, and baptized at the Evangelical Lutheran Church. He was an avid wrestler, and football player at Fort Collins High School. He graduated in 1943 and turned down a scholarship at The University of Oklahoma to enlist in the Navy during World War II. An electricians mate first class aboard an LST, he participated in Operations Torch and Overlord, and was at Omaha beach on June 6, 1944 D-Day. After the war he worked briefly in the oilfields of Wyoming and then returned to Fort Collins to marry Lila and raise a family. He started a tree trimming business with his brother-in-law and then worked for the City of Fort Collins Light and Power for 23 years, retiring in 1986. He enjoyed golf and bowling, and had two 300 games to his credit. As a child of the Depression and a veteran of World War II, Vic was no stranger to adversity, but his greatest struggle was to come later in life when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1992. He fought it valiantly to the end. While it eventually claimed his body it never dented his spirit, and he died, appropriately, in the arms of his family last Tuesday afternoon. There are many things that made Vic special to us: his sense of humor, kindness, strength, work ethic, and gentle nature. He led a full and rewarding spiritual life. But most of all, as a member of that Greatest Generation, he left us the example of a life well lived; the good name that comes from keeping your word and doing your best. There is no greater gift he could have given us. Services will be held at King of Glory Lutheran Church 2919 N. Wilson Ave. Loveland, Colorado 80538-2461 on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 10 a.m. A private family graveside service with military honors by the Fort Collins Honor Guard will be held on Friday, Dec. 5. Those who desire may view Mr. Schilling, Thursday, 12 to 4 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Bohlender Funeral Chapel. Donations can be made to The National Parkinson's Foundation Inc., 1501 NW 9th Ave./ Bob Hope Road, Miami, Florida 33136-1494 or the memorial fund at King of Glory Lutheran Church. Friends may send condolences to the family at bohlenderfuneralchapel.com.

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Victor Schilling

December 2, 2008