Kathleen "Kathi" Lipton Schillo

Kathleen "Kathi" Lipton Schillo, beloved mother, artist, leader, traveler, mentor, and friend, passed away peacefully on August 1, 2026, surrounded by the family she loved so deeply.

Born on October 13, 1949, in Neenah-Menasha, Wisconsin, to Irving James and Catherine (Mulva) Lipton, Kathi's life became a masterpiece of creativity, adventure, and service. Raised in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, she attended Saint Patrick's Grade School before graduating from Trinity High School with the Class of 1968. She earned her bachelor's degree from Kutztown University and later a Master of Science in Communications and Public Relations from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.

If life is a canvas, Kathi never left a corner untouched.

Her career reflected an extraordinary ability to blend imagination with leadership. She began with the Carlisle Area School District before serving as Art Director at the Carlisle Barracks Art Center, home of the U.S. Army War College. It was there she met the love of her life, Edward C. Schillo, Jr. Together, they embarked on the greatest adventure of their lives as their family moved to Japan, where they spent seven unforgettable years immersed in a culture that forever remained part of her heart. As family and friends often said, you could take Kathi out of Japan, but you could never take Japan out of Kathi.

Throughout her remarkable career, Kathi wore many hats—educator, artist, hospital administrator, campaign consultant, lobbyist for the space industry, community advocate, and visionary chamber executive. She served as Executive Vice President of the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce from 1998 to 2003 before becoming President and CEO of the Cocoa Beach Area Chamber of Commerce from 2003 until her retirement in 2008. In every role, she inspired collaboration, transformed organizations, and left communities stronger than she found them.

Yet her greatest calling was always art. Beginning in 1976, Kathi built an internationally recognized artistry business creating one-of-a-kind jewelry, stained glass, and commissioned works collected by clients around the world. She possessed the rare gift of seeing beauty where others saw ordinary materials, transforming glass and gemstones into treasured heirlooms. But her finest creations were never simply works of art—they were the lives she encouraged, the dreams she inspired, and the countless people she believed in long before they believed in themselves.

Her love of the arts began in childhood and never faded. Broadway held a special place in her heart, and she delighted in attending productions across the country. She later gave back to the performing arts by serving on the Board of Directors for The Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse and as a founding member of the Aladdin Society, helping preserve live theater for generations to come. She believed every great production was strongest when everyone had the opportunity to shine.

Affectionately known as the "Traveling Gypsy," Kathi embraced life with an adventurous spirit that carried her to all 50 states, across countless countries, and aboard many unforgettable cruises. Yet wherever her travels took her, her greatest souvenir was never something she brought home…it was the friendships she created. She had the rare ability to make strangers feel like lifelong friends and friends feel like family.

Kathi's legacy is measured not by the places she traveled or the titles she held, but by the lives she enriched. It lives on in every piece of art that catches the light, every organization she strengthened, every curtain that rises, every community she helped build, and every person who dares to dream a little bigger because she believed they could. She taught those around her that creativity is not simply what you make with your hands—it is how you choose to live.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Irving James and Catherine (Mulva) Lipton; her beloved husband and fellow adventurer, Edward C. Schillo, Jr.; and her stepbrother, Phillip Belnap.

She leaves behind her loving daughter, Liz Schillo of Melbourne, Florida; Nattsu Ullom and husband Ryan of Villa Rica, Georgia; Tracy Morgan of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania; stepson Edward C. Schillo III and wife Gabrielle (Costigan) of Palm Coast, Florida; stepdaughters Heather Marshall and husband Rick of Ashland City, Tennessee, and Holly Hutchinson of Pensacola, Florida; her cherished grand-dog, Gypsy Schillo; grandchildren Satsuki Ullom; Edward C. Schillo IV and his girlfriend Nyssa; Thomas Sharkey Schillo and wife Morgan; Helene McKinney and husband Ryan; Victoria Ohrt and husband Blake; Ian Marshall; Savanna Hutchinson; and Luke Hutchinson; great-grandchildren Emmett, Owen, and Scout; sister-in-law Peggy Hummel and husband Kim; nieces Amy Clarke and husband Rick, Jenna Miller and husband Ben; nephew Christopher Belnap and wife Sara; beloved cousins on both the Lipton and Mulva sides of the family; and countless dear friends around the world who became family by choice.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse – The Building 302 Fund (please note "The Building 302 Fund" in the memo line), ensuring that the arts Kathi treasured continue to inspire generations to come.

Mail Donations: 300 Brevard Ave; Cocoa, FL 32922

Online Donations: https://cocoavillageplayhouse.com

• A visitation will be held at Wylie-Baxley Funeral Home on Thursday, August 20th from 6-9pm at 1360 N. Courtenay Parkway; Merritt Island, Florida.

• A Funeral Mass celebrating Kathi's life will be held at Saint Mary's Catholic Church on Friday, August 21st at 11am at 1136 Seminole Drive; Rockledge, Florida.

• Kathi will be laid to rest with her beloved husband at West Point Cemetery in West Point, New York on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 10am.

As the final curtain falls on an extraordinary life, her story is far from over. It lives on in every act of kindness inspired by her example, every artist courageous enough to create, every leader willing to serve, and every person who dreams a little bigger because Kathi once believed they could. For those fortunate enough to know and love her, the applause will never truly end.