Karl Lewis Schilling

Karl Lewis Schilling, age 71, died on May 11 at the Knolls of Oxford. He was born in Kenton, Ohio, on June 3, 1949 and graduated from Hopewell Loudon High School. Karl received his B.A., in Psychology and English from Adrian College and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Florida.

Karl began his academic career at Earlham College, he then moved to The Western College Program of Miami University where he served for over 20 years as Assistant, Associate, and Acting Dean. He was Director of the Assessment Forum of the American Association for Higher Education, Deputy Director for Policy at the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia, and Associate Director of the Centers for Teaching Excellence at New York University and at Miami University.

Karl loved music and theater. He sang with the Oxford Choral Ensemble and Holy Trinity Church Choir until he could no longer follow scores. It was a rare year when he didn’t attend over thirty stage performances. Karl loved to travel and had the great joy of traveling with good friends. The Galapagos Islands, Australia and New Zealand, Spain and Portugal, Peru, Argentina, and Kenya were but a handful of these wonderful shared destinations.

Karl was a gardener and he loved to entertain. He brought his characteristic excess to these pursuits. He often wished that he could replace all the grass in his lawn with flowers and there were times when he came pretty close to achieving that goal. He also bought and prepared way too much food any time he cooked for people, which was often.

He was always ready to go for a stroll with a friend or family member who needed a listening ear. He was a thoughtful, generous, gentle, and caring man.

Karl was an attentive, supportive, and proud father who had enormous confidence in and took such pride in his daughter, Erin. Karl was a loving husband who shared more than a lifetime of hopes and dreams with his wife, Karen. Their love lives on.

Alzheimer’s Disease steals the memories of its victims, but it cannot steal those memories from others, and everyone who knew and loved Karl is blessed to have so many. Those memories will live on with his wife of 47 years, Karen Maitland Schilling, his daughter Erin (Ryan) Heinrich, and his brothers, Paul (Tina) Schilling, Tom (Clara Rose) Schilling, and Charles (Donna) Schilling. His grandson, Emmett, never had the chance to really know his Grampy (he would have been an outstanding Grampy), but shares his sensitive soul, his goofiness, and his giant heart.

Karl touched so many lives of his friends, family, colleagues, and former students. We are all so fortunate to have had the time that we had with him and are relieved that he is now at peace. Those wishing to make a donation in his memory can give to the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org), or Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Oxford.

Funeral service will be Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 11 a.m.  Weather permitting, the service will be held outside in the yard of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 25 East Walnut Street, Oxford, Ohio 45056.  In case of rain, the service will be held in the Church, with appropriate social distancing and masks required.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Karl Lewis Schilling, please visit our floral store.