Mr. Daniel Joseph Shillingford

Mr. Daniel Joseph Shillingford was blessed with an abundance of leadership qualities. It would be accurate to say that this man was an outstanding luminary and that his natural abilities served him well. He knew with certainty how he wanted to set priorities in all aspects of his life. He struck those who knew him as the kind of person who awoke in the morning with a clear sense of exactly what he expected from his day and how to set about accomplishing those goals. Daniel was a man who definitely liked order and was most comfortable with an organized and structured lifestyle. When this climate was absent, Daniel would set about immediately to create it.

His parents were Ronald Shillingford and Clara Reid. Daniel was raised in Virgin Lane in Roseau, Dominica. Daniel was brought up to be reasonable in his actions and was taught to use his intellect wisely. He was an honest and straightforward child, traits that reinforced his self-confidence. Even at a young age, Daniel was credited with having a positive influence on those around him.

The positive atmosphere that Daniel generated spread to his family. Daniel was raised with seven siblings. He had three younger brothers, David, Albert, Danny, Desmond and three younger sisters, Eugenia, Claudette and Glenda. Daniel served as a catalyst within the family. He often found himself in the role of providing fair solutions to those sibling disputes. In every family activity, Daniel was able to demonstrate his uncommon logic and skill at building compromise.

Daniel's enthusiasm for learning and the personal energy that enthusiasm generated led to his exhibiting leadership qualities early on in his childhood. He liked to see things executed properly and showed a skill for taking control of situations that were drifting out of control. At the same time, he was willing to experiment with different approaches as he worked a plan towards a solution. As a young boy, he took part in football, soccer, basketball, cricket and swimming. In his spare time he liked to listen to music, dance and sing.

When it came to academics and school, Daniel's organizational skills reaped dividends. Daniel was able to create a system for getting his class work done in a proper and timely manner. With a strong ability to analyze his schoolwork and assignments, he could apply a practical, common sense approach completing his studies. He showed a natural curiosity in the manner in which he tackled new types of problems and would regularly challenge his own reasoning ability in finding solutions. He enjoyed some courses more than others and developed favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was Chemistry.

The work habits and approaches to studying that Daniel utilized in high school also served him well in college. Daniel always seemed on a quest for knowledge. He was able to generalize, summarize and compile information for his classes, employing a matter-of-fact approach. Daniel was intuitive and mentally alert, seemed to crave the challenge of solving complex problems. Daniel attended Saint Mary's Academy in Dominica where he excelled at everything. It was there that he received his first job as a teacher. He went on to be a University Lecturer at Dominica State University. Then an Educational Officer for the Government. Whilst holding down these positions, Daniel continued to study and travel to pursue his academic potentials. He received his master’s degree in 1990 from the City College of New York.

Daniel was usually the first person in a gathering of friends and acquaintances to walk up and meet someone new. Throughout his life, such attribute made him highly approachable to people. This similar trait earned Daniel the praise of many friends. Daniel was born with the ability to remain loyal to his friends. He thought that he should treat others fairly, as he would like to be treated. Daniel also expressed his admiration for his friends' successes. Among many others, Thomas Dorsett and Albert Astaphan were a couple of his closest friends.

As Daniel knew in other aspects of his life, he had a clear vision of what he sought in a relationship and worked hard to achieve it. On July, 29th 1978 Daniel exchanged wedding vows with Mona Bernadine Francois at Roseau Cathedral Chapel of Roseau, Dominica. Mona was a significant part of his life, and it wasn’t necessary for Daniel to be overly sentimental or expressive about it for others to be aware of their mutual devotion. Daniel's secret to success was that he always kept the lines of communication open in the marriage and applied the important skill of being a good listener and a provider.

Family and children were important to Daniel. He was blessed with three children, two sons, Stefan and Struan, and one daughter, Simone. They were also blessed with four grandchildren, Shayla, Shane, Shiloh, and Sadie. Daniel was able to keep order in the family by using the same efficient and straightforward methods with the family as he did at work. Daniel rarely made a scene when it came to discipline. Instead, he was subtle and patient in his dealings when teaching the children right from wrong.

At work Daniel was viewed as a natural leader. He could marshal all of the available resources, including personnel and materials, in order to meet virtually any objective. He was great at developing strategies and made maximum progress with little wasted effort. Daniel was also adept at uncovering new and more efficient ways of getting things done. He was able to establish and meet objectives and schedules through long range planning and was always able to keep the big picture clearly in sight. Although Daniel might have been described by some as an overachiever, he was without question a dedicated and diligent employee. His primary occupation was as a Procurement Officer for the government of Dominica. He was employed for many years as a teacher, university lecturer, educational officer, procurement officer in Dominica. He also worked for Pearson Education, Tarrant County College and Walmart while in Texas.

Not only did Daniel find pleasure in pursuing his various hobbies, he also enjoyed the discovery and research involved in learning about them. His skill at problem solving had a positive influence on these activities as well. His favorite pursuits were reading, listening to music, and education.

Daniel had the capacity to encourage others no matter what the action was. This skill inspired his engagement in sports as well. In a competitive setting, he looked for opportunities and remained cool and composed under pressure. He enjoyed the movement and enthusiasm that sports provided. Daniel enjoyed swimming and played basketball, football, soccer, and cricket. He was also a sports buff who liked watching his favorite games whenever he could. Soccer, basketball, cricket, and swimming were all at the top of his list.

Traveling, especially vacations, was another way for Daniel to apply his exceptional leadership and organizational skills. He liked exploring different places but also enjoyed designing and scheduling the trips in advance. He had real talent for developing the perfect itineraries. Daniel liked visiting Barbados, Trinidad, Saint Lucia, Antigua, and the majority of the Caribbean Islands.

Daniel was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of Daniel's favorites was Roufa, a mixed breed.

When Daniel's retirement finally came in 2019, he was well prepared. He had worked out all of the details well in advance and knew exactly what he was going to do. Always a well-informed person, Daniel enjoyed adding to his wealth of knowledge. Retirement afforded him the time to enjoy that experience and provided one more opportunity to look ahead at what life might offer him.

Daniel passed away on February 12, 2023 at at home in North Richland Hills surrounded by family and friends. Daniel fought a brave battle against Lewy Body Dementia. He is survived by his wife Mona; his children Stefan, Struan and Simone; his grandchildren, Shayla, Shane, Shiloh, Sadie; his brothers David, Albert, Danny and his sisters, Eugenia, Claudette and Glenda. Services were held at Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home. Daniel was cremated and the ashes are placed in the memorial park at Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home in Colleyville, Texas.

Mr. Daniel Joseph Shillingford understood exactly what he wanted out of life and never hesitated to pursue it. He may be described as a determined guy who recognized the value of success. Daniel was assertive and opinionated at times, but he was mostly happy and upbeat. He was a leader, both intentionally and sometimes by default. If he saw that something needed to be done, he was always ready to step up and actualize, organize and implement a plan. He was a compassionate and generous man, who loved serving others and could never turn his back on anyone. He always expressed the importance of helping someone in need and will always be remembered as a kind and gentle soul. His sense of humor, gentle personality, and presence will be missed by many.

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Daniel Joseph Shillingford (72), of North Richland Hills, Texas, passed away on February 12th, 2023, surrounded by family and friends.

Daniel, a loving husband and father was fondly known as Dan or Danny. He was born to Ronald Shillingford and Clara Reid on April 10th, 1950, in Roseau, Dominica.

Daniel is survived by his wife Mona and three children, Stefan, Struan, and Simone, and grandchildren Shayla, Shane, Shiloh, and Sadie. He is also survived by his siblings Eugenia, Claudette, Glenda, David, Albert, and Danny along with his cousins, nephews, and nieces.

Daniel attended Saint Mary's Academy in Dominica where he excelled at everything. It was there that he received his first job as a teacher. He went on to be a University Lecturer at Dominica State University. Then an Educational Officer for the Government.

Whilst holding down these positions, Daniel continued to study and travel to pursue his academic potentials. He received his master’s degree in 1990 from the City College of New York.

Daniel's most recent role in the Commonwealth of Dominica's government was as a Procurement Officer.

As he moved to Texas, he worked for companies like Pearson Education, Tarrant County College, and Walmart.

Daniel fought his battle against Lewy Body Dementia for over 6 long years. Despite spending much of that time in and out of the hospital, he never lost his sense of humor. Throughout his journey, he cracked many jokes, danced a lot and he had a great ability to make others smile.

He was a compassionate and generous man, who loved serving others and could never turn his back on anyone. He always expressed the importance of helping someone in need and will always be remembered as a kind and gentle soul. His sense of humor, gentle personality, and presence will be missed by many.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.bluebonnethills.com for the Shillingford family.