Marilyn Jean Sills and Paul D. Sills

 The passing of Paul and Marilyn Sills, ages 94 and 96, has been accompanied by a keen sense of loss. These two very special people led lives of love, laughter, and adventure. Their love of family and love of friends was given freely to all who knew them.

Paul and Lynn met in high school and married in Madison, Wisconsin. They spent nearly 76 years together, loving one another and raising three children: Paul Sills II (Linda), Teresa Sills (Don Vidal), and Deborah (Ed) Birrer. The greatest sorrow of their lives was the passing of their son at the young age of 51.

Following high school and marriage, Paul enlisted in the US Army-Air Force as a radio repairman for aircraft. He proudly served on Tinian Island in the Pacific. This was also the base of the Enola Gay. He was already headed out to sea when news came of the war ending. It was a great relief to him as he was soon to become a father. Paul was a hard worker and spent his career working for the city of Burbank. From linesman to supervisor he was a respected friend and leader, retiring after 38 years of service. Spare time would find him doing family things, such as building his own hi-fi for the copious amounts of records he and Lynn were collecting. He might also be found building his girls a playhouse, or planning the numerous trips the family would take to the beach, desert, or mountains. He knew how to make wonderful memories of family time.

 Lynn wasn’t to be left behind when Paul enlisted, so she and her mother made the move from the Midwest to California. As a wife and mother she would spend countless hours meeting the needs of her three busy children. She sewed many of their clothes, attended PTA meetings, made an infinite amount of school lunches (a job she gladly relinquished in the summer months), and she was the leader of the Bluebird/Campfire girls for many years. Lynn made birthdays special for her family. You never had to make your bed or do your chores on that day, and your favorite meal would be on the dinner table that night. When the kids were a bit older, she took a factory job for a short time. However, her favorite job was working for her local parish helping Father with his weekly contributions to their church. With children grown and gone, she made time for her creative endeavors, acrylics and tole painting, both of which brought her great joy. Many a painting hangs on the walls of her family’s homes and numerous Christmas ornaments adorn their trees.

In 1988, Paul and Lynn moved to Camarillo to escape from the hot summers in Burbank. They enjoyed many trips in their Lazy Daze motorhome during this time. Many of their fellow campers lived in the Ventura area where trips together were always a delight. However, the memories made when the Birrer family could gather for trips to Big Bear, or join together for holidays and family dinners became timeless memories, creating the enduring bonds of family values.

During retirement years, you’d more often then not find Paul and Lynn in their Lazy Daze motorhome off on an adventure somewhere. Their free spirits led to a life on the open road which brought to them many new wonders and a deep sense of peace and joy. Later years found them closer to home, but still adventurous. If you were to visit, you might find yourself at the Ventura Harbor where you’d enjoy an ice cream cone, the ocean air, and a walk on the beach.

Paul and Lynn will be dearly missed by their children, their grandchildren: Deana Scofield, Rachel Schmeltzer, Tara Morgan, Josh Sills, Sarah Nobles and Diana Birrer, their great grandchildren: Ashley Soles, Randy and Damian Schmeltzer, Josephine Lynn Sills,  Luke Cooper Sills and Elijah Paul Sills.

A Celebration Of  Life Service will be held for Paul and Lynn on Saturday, April 1, 2023, 11:00 am, in the Chapel of the Hills, at Conejo Mountain Funeral and Memorial Park.