Jeffrey Curtis Schiller, age 56, of Lynden, passed away suddenly on Friday, Nov. 25, 2016. He was born Jan. 14, 1960 to Lawrence and Clara Mae (Hulst) Schiller in Coupeville, Washington, the youngest brother to Gregory and Wendy. At the age of 3, Jeff with his family moved from Oak Harbor to Lynden.
Jeff was loved by so many. He was a mentor, teacher, an encourager, an uplifter and a great listener. He had a great sense of humor and loved to bring laughter into people’s lives. He also gave the best back rubs and the biggest hugs. His reach was far and wide and he loved helping people in so many ways, whether it was for a family member, friend, neighbor, co-worker or a customer. He enjoyed lending a hand to help make someone else’s life easier.
He graduated from Lynden High School in 1978 and attended Western Washington University in Bellingham for two years. Jeff attended Faith Reformed and Sonlight churches in Lynden and Cornwall Church in Bellingham.
There were so many aspects to Jeff. A true renaissance man, he was deeply spiritual and philosophical. He read constantly on a wide range of subjects from his walk with Christ, personal growth, investments and trading to fiction and non-fiction novels. He wrote and published poetry and sent out a daily ‘Thought for the Day’ email. He taught writing classes at the Lynden Library and Jansen Art Center. He was a Toastmaster and led a divorce care group. He enjoyed cooking; among his favorites were omelets and breakfast burritos. Music was an important aspect of his life; he played trumpet in the high school band, sang on worship teams and listened to a wide range of music nearly every day. Jeff also had a love of woodworking. He recently built several furniture pieces, picture frames, doggie perches, garden benches and planters. Jeff was involved in sports throughout his life. During his school years, he played basketball and baseball and ran cross country. In his adult years, he continued to play basketball as well as softball, golfing, roller blading, kayaking and hiking. He adored the plethora of cats and dogs that came into his life, each one of them bringing him comfort and joy.
Jeff grew up in the building supply industry, developing a career lasting 40 years. His father, Larry, worked for Copeland Lumber in Lynden where young Jeff would sweep the floors. He started working for Larry, which eventually led him to becoming manager of the Copeland Lumber yard in Ferndale. Over time, he would work for several other building supply companies throughout Whatcom County. He worked for Westside Building Supply in Lynden as a contractor salesman from 2002 until 2015 when he retired. In 2015 Jeff and his wife Lu-Cindy took the trip of a lifetime traveling across the country. They moved back to Lynden in 2016 and Jeff (not able to sit still) decided to come back to Westside Building Supply, taking on the role of doing inventory control and some sales. He was detail-oriented and a dedicated and conscientious employee, striving for the very best for his employers, customers and co-workers.
Jeff was previously married to Kaylene Hamstra and they were blessed with three sons, Eric, Alex and Addison. In 2001 he met his future wife, Lu-Cindy McCullagh. They married in 2004 and resided in Lynden.
Jeff was preceded in death by his mother, Clara Mae (Hulst) Schiller (Oct. 2014), and his father, Lawrence (Larry) Schiller (Aug. 2001).
He is survived by his wife of 12 years, Lu-Cindy (McCullagh) Schiller of Lynden; sons Eric Schiller of Seattle, Alex (Allyson) Schiller of Charlottesville, Virginia, and Addison Schiller of Bellingham; step-daughter Heather Fairchild of Rutherford, New Jersey; brother Greg Schiller of Port Townsend, Washington; sister Wendy (Ron) Visser of Lynden; brother-in-law Robert H. McCullagh of Lynden; nieces Amy (Nick) Sgalitzer of Seattle, Shannon (Daniel) Robison of Lynden, Tara Visser of Bellingham and Kelsie Visser of Lynden; ex-wife Kaylene (Hamstra) Schiller of Lynden, brothers-in-law David (fiancee Jacquie Scott) Hamstra of Lynden and Michael Hamstra of Seattle; sister-in-law Susan (David) Burri of Lynden; and grandparents to Eric, Alex and Addison; Ken and Mary Ellen (Cobb) Hamstra of Lynden.
Jeff’s Celebration of Life service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016, in North County Christ the King church, with Kurt Langstraat officiating.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to either Grace Baptist Fellowship, 338 N. Park St., Lynden, WA 98264; or North County Christ the King, 1816 18th St., Lynden, WA 98264. You are invited to share your condolences and memories in the online guestbook at www.gilliesfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements are entrusted to Gillies Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Lynden.
