Richard Schilling OBITUARY
Richard James Schilling was born August 4, 1933 in Lincoln NE to Gladys Viola Renfro and Dale Delbert Schilling. He grew up in Lincoln with two sisters, Patricia, and Virginia, close family ties, relatives, and a strong pride for The University of Nebraska Football team and raising the standards of "Go Big Red". From an early age, Dick became inventive and confident that he could develop ideas that led to business opportunities. He showed innate creativity, imagination, an eye for detail, and skillful hands that enabled him to enjoy making projects at home and school during his childhood. Dick began tying fishing flies when he was 12 years old, and he started a business called Rainbow Valley Fly Tiers. He could tie a dozen flies in an hour and a half. Bass bugs took longer because cork bodies required coats of lacquer. Lawler's Sporting goods on O Street bought his flies and bugs. He accompanied his Dad on trips in Nebraska, selling his products to gas service stations. He bought plain colored men's ties at McGee's Department Store and painted Mallard ducks or brightly colored pheasants and sold them. He painted collections of frosted drink glasses with the same subjects. At an early age, his parents believed that his digital dexterity and temperament would let him become a dentist. His own dentist, Dr. Merritt Peterson, became a mentor. He attended Irving Junior High and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1951. He enrolled as a dental student and graduated from The University of Nebraska with a B.S. and D.D.S. Degree from the University of Nebraska College of Dentistry in 1957. He married a third grade teacher, Marlene Alice Willie, on August 11, 1956, at Bethesda Presbyterian Church, Bethesda MD. He became resident dentist in the United States Public Health Service U.S. Marine Hospital in New Orleans in 1957, and Washington D.C. in 1958-60, serving as resident dentist at National Institutes of Health in Bethesda. He exited the U.S. Public Health Service in July 1960, and drove to Colorado, stood on the shore of Lake Loveland next to the Statue of Liberty, and we sang "I'd Love to Live in Loveland". He was a serious and professional artist in all medias; watercolor, oil, sketching, wood carved sculptures, silver and gold jewelry, and has written and published eight books, poetry and magazine s. In 1993-94 Richard left his private practice of dentistry to pursue volunteer dentistry with World Medical Mission at Tenwek Hospital, Bomet Kenya as the only trained dentist for 300,000 Kipsigis and Masai people; Russian Far East; Honduras; Nicaragua; Russia; Tehuacan, Mexico; Samaritans Purse-World Medical Mission – Bolivia, Amazon River Ruth Bell Graham Riverboat. In 1996-2006 Richard was a part-time Dental Officer for Holland America Cruise Line Ships. Richard was a member of Colorado Watercolor Society, Larimer County Dental Society, American Dental Association, International College of Dentistry, Loveland Rotary Club, Good Shepherd Church, Gideons, Caleb Culture, and Moot House Men. He was a co-founder of Sonrisas Sin Fronteras, a mission in Mexico to provide Dental Health Care to schoolchildren. God has blessed us with three wonderful and beautiful children: Bradley Richard Schilling (Jodi), Jennifer Jean Lock (David), and Christopher Andrew Schilling (Heather). 10 Grandchildren: Rhianna Schilling, Chelsea Schilling (Khris), Katie Lock, Sarah Lock-Smith (Jeffrey), Virginia Schilling, Christopher James Schilling (Natalie), Jacqui Schilling, Andrew Quinn (Alison), Nicholas Quinn (Sara), Emma Schilling and seven great-grandchildren. His Celebration of Life will be July 3, 2024 at 10:30 am at Good Shepherd Church, Loveland Colorado. In Lieu of flowers, Memorial gifts may be sent to Samaritan's Purse, World Medical Mission, House of Neighborly Service, or Good Shepherd Church.
