Michael Elmo Drilling

DRILLING, Michael “Elmo”- Died suddenly Jan 14, 2021 at the age of 66 doing what he loved best- working outdoors with trees. Mike was an agroforester, a knowledgeable conservationist & environmentalist; his mission in life was to help protect the natural beauty & limited resources around us. Mike lived his passion and shared his lifestyle with a laid-back, unhurried attitude and “hands-on” education; he was fun to watch & learn from and made us laugh & smile. Mike loved adventure & enjoyed traveling; especially his stints in the Peace Corps. He had a generous heart and was known for his kindness, entertaining personality and love of the Buffalo Bills. He will be dearly missed by his family and many friends whom he shared a laugh, music & beer. Loving son of the late Elmo and Pauline (nee Cerny) Drilling. Dear brother of James (Lynn), Susan, Karen, Donna, Paula (Ken) Drilling-Hunt, Martha (Wilson) Garrish and the late Joan Kader; brother-in-law of Edward Kader. Devoted uncle to his nieces and nephews and cherished member of a large, loving extended family including Aunt Emily Cerny, cousins, and many close neighbors & friends. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Mike loved his “cabin in the woods” where he had started a tree farm- his ashes will be scattered along the trails he has cleared through the years. In lieu of flowers, please compost, recycle and/or plant a tree @ Re-treewny.org in Mike’s memory. On line condolences to www.denglerrobertspernafuneral.com