Joseph Earnest Schillaci

Joseph Earnest “Joe” Schillaci passed away at 86, leaving behind a family and friends who adored him, a granddaughter who believed he hung the moon, and a lifetime of stories that will only grow richer — and funnier — with time.

Born in Terre Haute, Indiana, Joe was raised between Terre Haute and Chicago and graduated from Steinmetz College Prep. He served as an Army Medic at Martin Army Hospital at Fort Benning, Georgia, where he became and Army Ranger — a distinction he carried with deep pride throughout his life. He missed a service extension during the Cuban Missile Crisis by just six days, a fact he never forgot. After serving his country, he earned his degree in Accounting from Northwestern University.

In Chicago, while wiring costumes backstage for a production of Gypsy at Theater First, he met Tausca Lee McClintock, who was playing Miss Electra. He wired her costume. She wired his heart. In true Joe fashion, he made a bold move and swept her away to Scotts Bluff, Nebraska, where they began their life together — a marriage that would span 54 years — and welcomed their daughter, Jillian Tiane Schillaci.

Together, Joe and Tausca, traveled the world — building a life rich with adventure, stories, and shared curiosity. Wherever they went, Joe was steady and observant, quietly taking it all in — and usually delivering the funniest, most perfectly timed joke about it all just when you least expected it. His humor wasn’t loud; it was precise. A raised eyebrow, a dry one-liner, and suddenly the whole room was laughing.

Joe’s accounting career included serving as Controller at Admiral Corporation in Chicago, Lockwood Corporation in Scotts Bluff, and CompreCare Health Plan in Denver. Joe built and operated a Husky Tire Center in Ft Collins, later growing his entrepreneurial footprint with Nutri-System Weight Loss Centers in Ft Collins, Boulder and Denver, as well as Action Auto Sales on Colfax in Denver. He closed out his career selling cars at John Elway Toyota, earning the affectionate nickname “Schooch”. Joe and Tausca retired to Grove, Oklahoma where he perfected the art of deck sitting, dock fishing, and unofficially serving as the lake’s most attentive watchman.

Joe was steady, observant, and sharp-witted. He didn’t waste words, but when he spoke, people listened — and often laughed. He had a way of sizing up a situation, letting it breathe, and then offering the exact comment everyone else was thinking but hadn’t yet found the courage — or the timing — to say. And if you ever doubted his competitive streak or his edge, you might hear him grin and say, “You think you’re playing with kids?”

As a father, his love was steady and protective. He gave his daughter the quiet confidence of “You’ve got this” — and the even deeper reassurance of “And if you don’t, I’m right here.” That kind of love does not waver. It anchors.

His greatest joy was his granddaughter, Quinn LeeAnn Nielsen. He adored her grit, her determination, and her fearless honesty. Their bond was built on humor, respect, and deep pride.

He is survived by his wife, Tausca Schillaci; his daughter, Jillian Schillaci; her fiancé, Shawn Collins — whom Joe respected and welcomed wholeheartedly into the family; his beloved granddaughter, Quinn Nielsen, all of Tulsa, Oklahoma; and his brothers, Tom Schillaci, David Schillaci, and James Schillaci, all of Bartlett, Illinois. He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Schillaci Sr. and Nellie Mason Schillaci, and his mother-in-law, Clara Frohn McClintock.

Joe’s presence made things feel under control. We will miss his strength, his humor, his steady hand, and the quiet confidence he gave us.

Rest easy, Ranger.