06/29/2019
Richard “Rick” Don Shilling, age 53, of rural Knoxville, Iowa, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, June 29, 2019 at his residence.
A private family burial will be held on Tuesday, July 2, 2019, on the family property.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, at the Winfield Funeral Home in Knoxville beginning at 3:00 P.M. Rick’s family will be present to greet friends and relatives from 5:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M.
Rick was born on October 1, 1965, in Chariton, Iowa, the son of Richard Marvin and Ruth Kayi “Deeringer” Shilling. Rick grew up in rural Knoxville and was a graduate of Knoxville High School, Class of 1984. After high school, Rick attended DMACC for a short time and studied Auto Mechanics.
Rick was united in marriage to Rebecca “Becky” Crook on August 1, 1986. They began dating in Jr. High and enjoyed over 32 years of marriage before his passing. They were blessed with four children, Tony, Casie, Cari, and Caitlyn.
Rick began his career working for Mathias Motors in Knoxville. He started as a “wash boy” and worked his way up to Service Manager. Rick started his own business Shilling Excavating, Inc. in 1999. He owned and operated his business for 20 years. Rick enjoyed digging dirt and working with heavy machinery. He was proud to have his son Tony join him in the family business and was looking forward to the day his grandchildren joined them.
Rick worked hard and played hard. He enjoyed deer hunting with his family, playing with his grandchildren (especially water balloon fights), reloading bullets, spending time with his family working on the girls’ race cars on Friday night, and then to Knoxville on Saturday.
Anyone that knew Rick also knows that he would have rather done anything else than work on the race cars. Rick and Becky enjoyed Ranger rides to the “new land” and having family join them to ride on the trails, canoe, and kayak. He was a family man and will be deeply missed by them all.
Those left to cherish Rick’s memory include his loving wife of 32 years, Becky Shilling, their four children, Tony Shilling and his wife Katie, Casie Vernon and her husband Seth, Cari Wright and her husband Ryan, and Caitlyn Shilling and her fiancé Wyatt Carter, all of Knoxville.
Rick is also survived by three grandchildren, Mason Shilling, Swayze Vernon, and Birxley Vernon; and one on the way; his mother, Kayi and her companion Gerald Hoch; father-in-law and mother-in-law Alan and Cathy Crook; also brother-in-law Chris Crook and his family.
Rick is preceded in death by his father, Richard Shilling; and two brothers, Jeff Shilling and Todd Shilling.
Online condolences may be given at www.winfieldfh.com