Obituary of Tony Joseph Shillingford,Sr.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Tony Joseph Shillingford, known as Hassan to his V.I. friends, was born in Dominica on March 19^th, 1950 to Hugh Donald Shillingford and Bernadette Tina James. One of nine children, his siblings Mervin, Coralie (deceased), Thora, Norma, Clifton (Dense), Merlyn(deceased), Claire and Kernita all loved him dearly.  

Tony grew up in Dominica in the township of Hatton Garden and lost his father at a young age. One of his proudest moments was fathering his first-born son, Earl Shillingford.  With Tony’s mother’s influence he moved to St. Thomas, USVI where he was determined to make a life for himself and his family.  He fell in love with the island and claimed it as his home.  While in St. Thomas, he met and married Eleanora Henderson. The good Lord blessed them with five beautiful children: Natasha, Jernitta, Tony Jr., Andrea and Cassandra. After the end of that union, Tony being such a charmer, subsequently moved on to give life to two handsome sons, Troy and Trever Shillingford. Tony then later met and married Jeanilia Massicot bringing two lovely children, Jeanel and Jamiel, into this world.  

Due to Hurricane Marilyn in 1995, he was forced to relocate to Florida where he enjoyed a wonderful life with his wife and children. In recent years Tony enjoyed his retirement by visiting friends and family particularly his grandchildren. He was a man of God dedicating his life to Christ and walking that walk every single day. He was devout in his faith and became a strong disciple in sharing the word with others. Tony was a loyal, true man of honor who would give his last in spite of any situation. 

On Saturday February 16, 2019, Tony was sadly taken to meet his maker, joining Granny and Aunty Merlyn on the other side. He will forever be in our hearts. We love you, we miss you and we will never forget how you have touched the lives of many. I could go on and on about my dad, trust me, I have a list of all the things we all loved about him. The most important thing is how his character became the foundation of my conscience. I admire my dad because of the kind father he was to us. Yes, he loved us very much, but he also instilled in us a core value system that defined who HE was. And that, was of a man who kept promises, a man of integrity who fully expected us to see things through. If it needed to be done he would say,” well do it. It just needs to be done.” 

He was a man of no judgement because he understood that he himself was not perfect and was a work in progress. To say he will be missed doesn’t do justice to how we really feel. Without his love there will be a void that can never be filled. Again, I could go on and on about the amazing man he was but if you are here today that means that he touched your life in some way or another. That means that you will miss him in some way or another. That means that he served his purpose and we can be satisfied with the life he lived. You will be greatly missed Dad but today we will not say goodbye, see you when we see you because we WILL see you again. And it will be the biggest and best reunion ever! We Love YOU!  

Thank you everyone for being here to celebrate the life and love of our dear father, Tony Joseph Shillingford. Those who have come from far, we appreciate your presence! Farewell to a wonderful father, brother, lover of life and family. Rest in eternal peace until we meet again. 

Let us all remember his words “Never let your animalistic emotions predominate your spiritual vocality.”  

SHILLINGFORD

Tony Joseph,Sr. 68 of Hollywood, Florida passed away February 16, 2019. Born March 19, 1950. In Repose Friday, February 22, 2019 from 5:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Funeral Mass will be on Saturday, February 23, 2019 in Nativity Catholic Church following by Private Cremation. Arrangements by Joseph A. Scarano Presidential Circle Memorial Chapel 4351 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood Hills, Florida 33021.