Irwin E Schilling's Obituary
It is with great sadness we announce our Husband, Father, Grandfather, and GG passing away peacefully with his Family by his side on June 25, 2024, after fighting and fighting complications from cancer.
I. E. was born and raised in Miami along with his parents, Sara and Louis C. Schilling, both born in 1913. His grandparents, Minnie and Irwin E. Schilling ("IE"), came to Miami in 1910 from Green Bay, Wisconsin, on their honeymoon and loved it so much that they stayed and established the I. E. Schilling Co. on the Miami River in 1912. He is survived by his wife, Betty Anne; son Russell and his wife Aileem; brother Dudley and his wife Carolyn; grandson Charles and his wife Devin, with their kids Carter and River; and granddaughter Natalie and her husband Rolly, with their kids Valencia, Nico, and Leia.
Growing up as a child I E enjoyed so much going to Green Bay and Sturgeon Bay "Door County" Wisconsin. His uncle in Green Bay always took him by Packer Stadium to salute. Seeing his Dad's relatives during the summer with his family staying at the Fischer cottage on Lake Michigan and hanging out with Daughter Mary Fischer was filled with swimming in Lake Michigan which was very cold for a Florida boy but he said it was well worth it. They water skied at 10:00 pm and did lots of fishing. He first learned how to sail on Sturgeon Bay with his aunt and loved gathering the bats from the drawn up shades outside on the porch at the cottage on Sturgeon Bay.
Sometimes he would travel to Wisconsin with his Grandma "Gonny" Schilling by train and would love it to escape the Miami summer heat.When his Dad Louis was little he met his Aunt Mona a true Indian she was living with the family and used a cane. She thought nothing of hitting you with the cane if you misbehaved. He called her a strict disciplinarian.
His Great Great Grandmother was the full blooded Indian and she married a Judge in the state court of Wisconsin. You weren't allowed at the time but they had a Justice of the Peace to perform the wedding very quietly and when he died he declared her as his wife in his will.
IE was very proud of his true Indian heritage.
I. E. became a fighter in his very early years in school, being undiagnosed with dyslexia throughout his schooling years. His son Russell showed signs of the same in first grade. I. E. did everything possible, fighting to get him help and finally succeeded with his attending The McGlannon School in Miami, specializing in dyslexia. Russell, in later years, was able to be in hospital executive management only because of his early schooling and the foundation it provided.
I. E. was a very generous, considerate, and kind man, giving money to family and friends without asking for it to be returned. His caring for others started at an early age when he asked his dad to help others. His love for God was #1 in his life of philanthropy, his churches were #2, and Baptist Hospital Miami was #3. It was very important to him to give back what God had so generously given him. Thank you, Lord.
I. E. graduated from Miami High School, class of 1956 ("Go Stingarees"), where he played football. Those days were very special, with longtime friends always near and dear to his heart. He attended Florida Southern College and the University of Miami until the family business, I. E. Schilling Co., a ready-mixed concrete company, needed his help.
Growing up, I. E. was known as "Nature Boy." He loved bird hunting and fishing with his dad and buddies. The family had a camp with the Belcher family, and every weekend from fall into spring, he was in the woods with Betty Ann and Russell, loving every moment. It was a great getaway from everyday challenges.
He loved taking his family and friends into the deep Everglades on his airboat for fun. When he was 13 years old, the family purchased a lot on Plantation Key, Florida Keys, and then built a house where he learned all about fishing, free diving, and scuba diving. He built his own wooden boat, which he would sleep on while exploring the backcountry all the way to Flamingo from the Keys mainland.
I. E. and Betty Anne purchased a small trawler, "Tender Offer," which they had for 17 years. They explored the South Florida coast to coast and then the Bahamas, where they would spend a month during the summer going island hopping with many of their boating friends. They were lifetime members of the Matheson Hammock Yacht Club and loved their outings and travels on land and sea. I. E. loved having the Tender Offer anchored at sea with a beautiful breeze, watching the sunset and dreaming of the next day's happenings. His dinghy, "Tender 2," was one of the best gifts given to him by a friend, as it allowed him to explore more on the water and on land.
I. E. loved garage hunting and had a special friend, Richard, to go with. When they used Richard's old vehicle with a hole under the brakes and got sprayed from the puddles, I. E. decided to give him his station wagon, even though it looked good and ran very well. Richard was thrilled, and I. E. was too. I. E. also gave him a famous gun he got from a garage sale, and they wrote it up in a gun magazine about I. E. giving it to him. I. E. knew the value but wanted Richard to have it to go with his collection.
I. E. was never a clothes person. He wouldn't go clothes shopping unless we convinced him he had to. His favorite everyday attire was jeans, cargo shorts, and tee shirts galore. His formal wear was a sports jacket and no tie. Occasionally, he had to wear a tuxedo, which made him more handsome, and he managed it okay with lots of complaining.
I. E. and Betty Anne loved traveling the world, with their Antarctica trip being their favorite, making seven landings in a small zodiac inflatable in the water among the icebergs with huge icicles hanging down. The penguins would walk right up to you, not afraid at all. On land, they went to six different countries, each having its own territory to live on and report from. It was all pretty amazing and educational.
IE's second favorite was Traveling to Alaska "Our Last Frontier" making 6 trips Fly Fishing on the Bering Sea in Indian territory and flying in and out. He brought home ice chests full of fresh salmon for family and friends.
One year he took Russell fly fishing and Russell thought it was one of his most memorable times of being with Dad. The beauty and seeing a bear and catching the picture while the bear looks at them standing up was unreal. The bear came out of the brush across the water looking at IE. IE, Russell and the Guide got in their boat and took off. The bear was too close for comfort. Pretty neat Russell has the pix I. E. and bear.
We took 6 cruises and traveling in the interior was always something different and beautiful. We took small planes from Talkeetna and landed on the Ruth Glacier then flew over Mt McKinley now called Denali and watched the hikers headed up and saw the Base midway. Being with Steve and Mary Joan Brito and Queenie and Charlie Vieni on several trips was always more fun than you can imagine.
We had our 50th anniversary on a cruise to Alaska with Russell and Aileem celebrating with us.
They are so special to be around and share our fun as a family. We had so many dear friends joining us
it was magical.
IE loved going to his Brother's Dudley and Carol with his nephews Kenny and Keith. He loved the ranch/farm life with the horses and beef cattle etc. Dudley and Carol got interested in Cutting horses and began showing them at events traveling to Texas and around the south. They did very well in showing their horses.
IE loved traveling to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York to visit with BA's relatives and staying with Queenie and Charlie Vieni and their 3 kids. Summers the kids without the parents would come visit us at the Keyhouse where we taught them how to snorkel, water ski and dive.
IE loved going to Cincinnati to be with BA's Brother Kenny and wife Carol where the Bengals and U of
Cincinnati Bearcats are. We all went to the games when the Dolphins were playing and we had lots of tailgate parties. They sure new how. The Bearcat games were lots of fun too. This is Football Country.
Our last 16 years we traveled to Linville and Boone, North Carolina for the summer months and enjoyed thecool. We saw lots of Miami High friends of course the Brito's and then meeting lots of new friends.
Our relatives from all over came and enjoyed the cool as well.
Great friends forever and ever.
One of I. E.'s proudest achievements was becoming a member of the Operating Board of Baptist Hospital in 1981. He was very proud to sit and work with Mr. Bob Cole, now deceased, who was Chairman of the Board of Baptist Health. He learned so much about healthcare and how necessary it was to have the best team to work with. He was on the very first Baptist Hospital Foundation as Secretary and was very proud and happy to raise money for the Foundation. He was very interested in showing and telling others how and what their money was used for. There were many times our family needed the services of Baptist, and we were so happy to be able to donate our money to help all. I. E. loved the Christian "faith-based mission of Baptist" – to treat all – and today the same thing applies.
I. E. became critically ill in 2010 with pancreatitis. We traveled from Mariners Hospital in the Keys to Baptist and were told he might not make it. After many weeks of being in a coma, treatment, prayer by so many, and by the Grace of God and Baptist Hospital physicians, medical staff, along with employees, he survived and was stable. We then had to go to Pittsburgh, PA, for surgery. Upon arrival, they told us they couldn't believe Baptist kept him alive; he was a miracle. Pittsburgh took care of the surgery, and after six weeks, we returned home. Again, he fought and fought.
I. E. and Betty Anne moved to the Keys full-time in 2000, and then I. E. joined the Mariners Hospital Operating Board, part of Baptist Health. Betty Anne was then nominated to be on the Baptist Hospital Foundation Board for Mariners Hospital. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cancer, and after radiation and chemo, the cancer, thank God, went into remission. The days in the Keys were among the most fun and enjoyable, with wonderful neighbors and countless great friends with social activities galore, sometimes hard to keep up with. I. E. became a Master Gardener in the Keys, helping people troubleshoot their plant problems. He also loved working with wood and had the most wonderful shop in his garage. We joined the Islamorada Fishing Club, and again the social times there were outstanding and so much fun. Our son, Russell, and his family would come on weekends and holidays, and let the fun begin with water sports galore. The fishing was good, and life in general was VERY GOOD.
After Hurricane Irma hit us in 2016 with a lot of serious yard and dock damage, we decided to sell and move to Delray Beach, FL. It was becoming much more difficult for us to find helpers, and we just couldn't handle it ourselves.
Delray Beach was beautiful; however, medical challenges were getting more frequent and more difficult. In May of 2023, Betty Anne was diagnosed with breast cancer. Surgery and radiation were required. I. E. was diagnosed with a tumor, and it was discovered to be malignant, requiring radiation. In June 2023, they moved back to Miami to their townhouse temporarily. Together they started radiation, with son Russell taking them every day. Russell and his wife Aileem were there for every doctor's appointment and as needed—a real blessing. In March 2024, they left Delray Beach for good, now staying in Miami full-time, fighting to recover from all the more serious complications arising.
We want to thank all our medical staff and employees at Baptist Hospital and the Miami Cancer Institute for their amazing care and kindness. A special thank you to Vitas Hospice RN Elizabeth and our private duty caregivers, GG1 and GG2. You are all amazing, and God bless each of you.
Thank you, Lord, for caring for I. E. and bringing him home to be with you.
I. E. said he had a wonderful life with his wife, Betty Anne, and son, Russell, and family. He wants us to celebrate his life with family and friends and have lots of fun doing it.
I. E., we will miss you lots and look forward to seeing you in heaven when we get there.
From your loving family and friends. We will always love you.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to:
Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute
Attn: Dr. Michael Zinner
8900 N. Kendall Drive, Miami, FL 33176
Christ Journey Church
Attn:Dr. Rev. Bill White
624 Anastasia Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33134
or to a charity of your choice.
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