Dennis L Schilling

Dennis L. Schilling, age 85, of Rochester died peacefully on Tuesday, October 2, 2018 at mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus. Dennis was born on August 13, 1933 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin to LaVerne and Elsie (Urness) Schilling and graduated from high school there. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1953 to 1957 as a member of a mobile weather squadron. His duty stations included California, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa and the South Pacific island of Tarawa. While on Tarawa he and his squadron supported multiple H-Bomb tests that took place on the nearby island of Bikini Atoll. On December 16, 1955 he married Shirley Finis of Wheatland, Iowa in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. They met at the Cedar Rapids Airport where Shirley worked for United Airlines. After being honorably discharged, Dennis and Shirley moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he attended Milwaukee School of Engineering and where their two children were born. He graduated with honors and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in June of 1960. Dennis joined IBM in Poughkeepsie, New York in July 1960 and worked on System 360 computer product development. In August of 1963 he took a hiatus from IBM to work for Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, rejoining IBM and moving back to Rochester in February of 1965. On two occasions IBM sent Dennis and Shirley abroad to live and work near London, England and in Rome, Italy. After their return from Rome he retired as a business planner in 1991. Since 1961 Dennis had been a very active member of the Barbershop Harmony Society (SPEBSQSA). In addition to singing barbershop harmony, he enjoyed traveling, dancing, fishing, card playing, weather watching, tinkering around his acreage and spending time with family. Dennis is survived by his wife Shirley of Rochester; children Julie (Michael) Ulbrich of Rochester and Jeff (Cynthia) of Boulder, Colorado; grandchildren U.S. Navy LT Jason Ulbrich (Kate Geyer), Dr. Lauren Ulbrich of Bluffton, South Carolina and Raili Schilling, anesthesiology assistant student at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He is also survived by siblings Donald (Sonja) Schilling, Beverly (Frank) Weiss, LaVerna Cornell, and Robert (Connie) Nikolaus. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Barbara Casas, and grand-dog, Kody. The celebration of life will begin with visitation from 12:30-2:00 pm Tuesday, October 30, 2018 at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 1212 12th Ave. NW, Rochester. A service will follow at 2:00 pm officiated by Pastor Karna Hagen Moskalik. Burial will be next spring in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the family which will be distributed to the Barbershop Youth in Harmony Land O' Lakes Fund at a later date. Arrangements are with Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes of Rochester. To share a special memory please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh.com