Obituary for Clifford Schilling

Clifford Schilling

August 25, 1931 — November 28, 2023

Clifford Wayne Schilling was born August 25, 1931, in Oklahoma City to Albert John and Clara Mae (Stout) Schilling. He was raised on a farm in Noble County, OK near his maternal grandparents. After graduating from Garber High School in 1949, he attended Northern Oklahoma Junior College, where he met Christabell Baker, who he married just after earning his BS at Oklahoma State University in 1953.

Clifford was drafted into the US Army just a few months after the wedding, and he served with the 293rd Engineer Construction Batallion Company C in Baumholder, Germany rebuilding infrastructure following World War II. While is Europe he was able to visit Paris, and see the Alps, which sparked a love of the mountains that remained with him. While he did see the Statue of Liberty when leaving New York en route to Europe, he recalled that the voyage across the Atlantic was not at all pleasant.

Following his service, Clifford returned to Noble County with his bride to start farming alongside his father. Just a few years later, his father passed away suddenly, and he made the decision to sell the farm equipment and go back to school. After earning his master’s degree, he began a new career as a draftsman at Cities Service Oil in Bartlesville. His career took the family to the Tulsa area, and then to Colorado where he worked on various energy-related projects and rose to the position of Project Supervisor. He and Chris eventually moved back to Ponca City in 1986 to assist their parents.

The Schilling family started traveling when Mark and Diane were kids and enjoyed several epic camping trips throughout the Rocky Mountain West. Clifford and Chris kept this up over the years, visiting such places as the Pacific Northwest and Vancouver, British Columbia, the Carolinas, Historic Natchez Trace Parkway, Washington DC, and the Maritimes of Canada.

Clifford was a true servant and was active in the churches they attended as a Sunday School teacher, deacon and elder, and was instrumental in beginning the Friendship Feast at First Christian Church. In Colorado, he was also active in the Littleton Optimist Club, supporting the local community. He and Chris also enjoyed socializing with friends in their Pinochle groups over the years. He was a master woodworker and built furniture, baby cradles for grandchildren, and barnwood picture frames. He also loved singing in the church choir.

Clifford stayed tethered to his roots in Noble County and has remained a landowner there throughout his life. He enjoyed drives to the old homestead up until just a few weeks ago.

Clifford leaves a son, Mark (Michele) of Hockley, TX, and a daughter, Diane Schilling Hooker (Russell) of Lincoln, NE; six grandchildren, Austin, Nathan (Monica), and Harrison Schilling, all of Texas and Molly Zach (Tim) of Lincoln NE, Spencer Hooker (Elissa) of Aurora, CO, and Alexander Hooker of Englewood, CO; and seven great grandchildren: Brooklyn, Atlas, Juniper, Austin, Hazel, Noah, and Elizabeth Marie, who he met just a few days before he passed. He also leaves two nieces, Tamara Baker Clowers of Aurora, CO, and Teresa Baker Sanders of Wichita, KS

He will be greatly missed, but he left us with his hopeful final words, “I’ll be alright”.

Graveside services will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, December 2, 2023, in Longwood Cemetery with Rev. Stephen Johnson officiating. Visitation will be Friday, December 1, 2023, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Grace Memorial Chapel of Ponca City.

Online guest registry is available at www.gracememorialchapel.net