Walter Richard Schilling

Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Walter Richard (Dutch) Schilling

Our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather was born on April 9th, 1933 in Dover, Ohio. He was born at home in a rural community called the “French Hills” to Henry and Ethel Schilling. He had two older brothers, Bud and Buster, one older sister, Mildred, and one younger sister, Connie. There in the French Hills his family worked and lived as he and his siblings went to school in a one-room schoolhouse that was right next door. In 1944, when Dutch was 11, his family relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico, due to his dad’s health. In 1950 they moved to Roswell, New Mexico, where he began working with his dad and brothers laying cinder block for new homes at Walker Air Force Base.

In 1951 he enlisted in the Air Force and was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. He was trained as a medic and worked in the Flight Surgeon’s Office. While on a family fishing trip in 1953, he met the love of his life, Barbara Ellsworth–of Dover, Ohio–who happened to be babysitting his nieces. They married on June 15th, 1955. They started their life together in Roswell, New Mexico, at Walker Air Force Base. In 1956 they welcomed their first child, a son, Ronald. Two years later their second child was born, a daughter, Jeri. Dutch received orders in 1959 to transfer to Kindley Air Force Base in Bermuda for the next three years. Their third child, a daughter, Jodi, was born in 1962. Later that year, Dutch was transferred to March Air Force Base in Riverside, California.

The next chapter of his Air Force career took him to the “infamous'' Area 51, or Dreamland, hidden in the Nevada desert. Although he couldn't tell his family what he did there, he loved this assignment and served there until March of 1969. For his final assignment, he was sent to Edwards Air Force Base, California, where he was head of the Flight Surgeon’s Office and worked with the test pilots. After 20 years of faithful service to his country, he retired as a Master Sergeant in November of 1971 at the age of 38.

Dutch had always enjoyed auto mechanics throughout his life, so his next venture was to attend Antelope Valley College. He graduated with a AS Degree and became a certified auto mechanic, and worked in that industry for the next 20 years, retiring in 1989.

Soon he and Barb were on the road traveling in their motorhome. Dutch loved planning every detail of their many trips, and no stone was left unturned. Together they visited almost all of the 50 states in the US. He loved the mountains, classic cars, fishing, baseball, and country music; but the thing that he loved the most was his family. If anything, the legacy that he left was a legacy of love. He displayed this love in so many ways, from leading Boy Scouts, to making ice cream with the grandkids, to giving rides in his Bugatti, to coming up with nicknames for each child who entered his heart. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, his children, Ron, Jeri, Jodi and spouses, 12 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. His selfless love and sacrifice to his family will never be forgotten. We are forever grateful for the years that we had him and he will be missed.

We love you, Dutch, and our comfort is knowing that we will see you again.