Tristan Cole Schilling

Tristan Cole Schilling, a beloved son, brother, nephew, cousin, and friend, unexpectedly and suddenly passed away on November 22, 2023, at the age of 27. Tristan was born on December 10, 1995, in York, PA.

Tristan was a special needs individual from birth who had many rare conditions that doctors believed would prevent him from surviving past birth, let alone thrive in life. From the beginning, Tristan defied all odds, started talking at the age of 3 (and then had many many things to say), recovered from potential blindness at the age of 5 due to receiving groundbreaking medical treatment in Rome, Italy, conquered extensive spinal fusion surgery at the age of 15 (plus a two-year recovery), graduated from Dallastown Area High School, advocated for disability rights for himself and others alongside a PA state senator in the State Capitol against high-profile health insurance executives, studied communication and mass media at York College of PA, and fought every day through severe physical and mental disabilities to live, thrive, and be the loving, caring, ambitious, joyous, and funny person everyone who connected with him knew him to be.

Tristan was an incredibly bright and intellectual person who loved storytelling, meeting and conversing with others, laughter and using his wit to make people laugh, watching and creating animation, playing video games, singing and listening to music, cheering on his favorite football teams (Go Dallastown Wildcats, Penn State & Giants/Ravens!), writing and reading, philosophical debate, and many other passions.

One of Tristan's greatest passions in life was gaming with others using his adaptive controller. Tristan cherished competitive gaming time spent with his brother, Justin, friends, and his nurse caregivers over the years, bonding over their shared love for Star Wars, football, racing, sports, and journeying through different stories and worlds.

Tristan's creativity and imagination also found expression through writing and video editing, where he skillfully crafted narratives and brought characters and stories to life. His lifelong love for Disney led him to deeply explore the realm of animation and storytelling, where he left his mark with his creagious artistic endeavors.

Tristan will forever be held dear in the hearts of his grieving family and those who knew him. He is survived by his devoted mother, Vicki (Folkenroth) Schilling, loving father, Michael Schilling, supportive brother, Justin Schilling, his adoring grandparents, Larry and Connie Folkenroth and recently passed grandmother, Shirley A. (Thompson) Schilling, and his caring Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins.

To commemorate Tristan's remarkable life, All Are Welcome at Tristan's Celebration Of Life Service being held at 7:30 PM (EST) on December 19, 2023, at the Living Word Community Church, 2530 Cape Horn Road, Red Lion, PA 17356. Prior to the service, a public gathering will take place at the same church at 6:30 PM (EST), allowing friends and acquaintances to come together and share memories of Tristan's boundless spirit. Those who knew Tristan understood his fondness for the color blue, which symbolized his vibrant presence. In honor of his memory, all are invited to wear blue or a splash of blue on this day and during the upcoming service. You can also live stream the service at https://vimeo.com/event/3946533/730e573402

Tristan's departure has left a void in our lives, but his legacy of resilience, creativity, and unwavering love will forever inspire us. His memory will live on as we celebrate the life of a remarkable individual who brought his humor and bright shining light into our world.

Instead of flowers and in honor of Tristan's life and all the people in the community who were a huge part of ensuring Tristan lived life to the fullest and accomplished many of his life goals, please consider making a gift/donation to the following funding initiatives that will provide an ongoing and long-term positive impact:

The Tristan Cole Schilling Fund ( https://gofund.me/6a6ed95a ) that will provide scholarships to people with disabilities and support various organizations that positively impacted Tristan's life. Non-tax-deductible gifts/donations to this Fund can be made online at https://gofund.me/6a6ed95a

The York College of Pennsylvania where a Fund in Tristan's memory is being established.

Tax-deductible gifts/donations to the College Fund can be made in tribute to, honor of, or in memory of Tristan at https://giving.ycp.edu/givetoYCP or mailed to 441 Country Club Road, York PA 17403.