Karl Schillinger

Karl Edward Schillinger, age 77, of Hudsonville and formerly Pinckney, Michigan, passed away on January 16, 2026, after a brief illness.

Karl was born August 14,1948, in Dearborn, Michigan, to Elmer and Jesse (Brown) Schillinger. He graduated from Eastern Michigan University where he was a member of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity making lasting friendships with his “brothers for life.”

On May 22, 1982, Karl married the love of his life, Teri Blacklaw, of Chelsea, Michigan. Together they caringly raised their two children, Erin and Alex, and took great pride in and adored their four grandchildren, Riley, Faye, Theo, and Drew.

Karl dedicated his career to caring for others, serving residents in assisted living facilities and dementia units, as well as young people with intellectual disabilities. His compassion and commitment were deeply felt by all who knew him. He further extended this dedication by playing an integral role in the development of the Green House Project at his workplace, where he helped emphasize independence, dignity, and respect as essential priorities in resident care.

An avid outdoorsman, Karl had a deep love for adventure and exploration. He enjoyed traveling, fishing, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, SCUBA diving, and cross-country skiing, among many other pursuits. Well into his later years, he remained remarkably active through walking, running, and weightlifting. Above all, however, what brought him the greatest joy was watching his grandchildren compete in their respective sports. Rarely missing a game—a tradition he began with his own children—Karl could almost always be found in the front row, cheering from the sidelines whenever one of his four grandchildren was playing.

On fall weekends, Karl could often be found passionately cheering on the University of Michigan and the Detroit Lions, teams he had faithfully supported since childhood. Beyond football, he was a devoted fan of all Detroit sports, following them closely and especially rooting for the Red Wings and Tigers.

Karl is survived by his wife, Teri (Blacklaw) Schillinger; his two children, Erin Meyer (Matt) and Alex Schillinger (Danielle Kenaga); his four grandchildren, Riley, Faye, Theo, and Drew Meyer; his brother, Eric (Kari); sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Cindy Beauchamp (Ken), Stuart Blacklaw (Cindy), Lisa Backlaw; and his many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister-in-law, Vickie (Blacklaw) Drummond; brother-in-law, Edward ‘Ned’ Blacklaw; and nephew, Kristopher Longwish.

A memorial visitation will be held on Friday, January 30, from 12:30-2:30 p.m. at Matthysse Kuiper DeGraaf Funeral Home (Jamestown) 2371 Riley St., Hudsonville. The visitation will be followed by a brief graveside service at Georgetown Township Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Michigan Humane or the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.