Ancil Guilinger

Ancil Guilinger, age 84, longtime educator and resident of Savanna, passed away Wednesday, February 14, 2024 at MercyOne Hospital, Clinton, Iowa. A Celebration of Life service will be held 11am Saturday, February 17, 2024 at Law Jones Funeral Home in Savanna. Visitation with family and friends will be held prior to the service from 9 – 11am Saturday at the funeral home. A luncheon will follow at the United Methodist Church in Savanna. Memorials may be given in his honor for the Savanna Ambulance Association and the United Methodist Church.

Ancil was born July 10, 1939 in Little York, Illinois, the son of Leslie and Mildred (Kniss) Guilinger. He grew up learning to play sports and going fishing with his buddies. In school, Ancil excelled at basketball, football and track and is a 1957 graduate of Little York High School. He then attended Monmouth College where he played basketball and received a Teaching Degree in 1961.

While attending grade school at Little York, Ancil became friends with Sharon Rhoden. Over the years, they turned their friendship into a relationship. She became the love of his life when they were married, May 6, 1960 in Little York. They raised four children, Lisa, Stan, Joe and Brad, and celebrated almost 64 years of marriage. Ancil was a great Dad, teaching by example values of honesty and dependability. Family was most important to him.

Ancil first taught eighth grade at the Mt. Carroll School, along with coaching basketball, baseball, track and driving the bus. He later taught at the Savanna Schools as a Science teacher, and also served as the Principal of Avenue School and Lincoln Jr. High School for several years. He enjoyed camaraderie with other teachers and liked to challenge the kids. Coaching sports kept him busy, along with following the activities of his own kids. He and Sharon enjoyed family life, especially when they began having grandchildren. At the age of 80, he would still play Wiffle Ball in the yard with his grandchildren. He and Sharon shared a strong faith and attended the Savanna United Methodist Church.

After retiring from Education, Ancil began working at Law Jones Funeral Homes, driving the coach and maintaining vehicles and buildings. He helped Law Jones care for many families. He finally gave up work at the age of 80 and focused full-time on teaching his grandkids to fish and golf. Ancil enjoyed gardening and listening to Cardinals Baseball, often attending games with family. He had the honor of getting to go on the field to watch batting practice with the Cardinals. In 1997 Ancil was inducted into the Northwest Illinois Sports Hall of Fame.

Ancil will be dearly missed by his wife Sharon; four children, Lisa (Karl) Dallefeld of Worthington, Iowa, Stan (Mary) Guilinger of Sandwich, Illinois, Joe (Sharon) Guilinger of Thomson, Illinois and Brad (Keri) Guilinger of Morris, Illinois; nine grandchildren, Laura (Trent) Lentell, Kyle (Maggie) Dallefeld, Kelsey (Mitch) Gotto, Mark (Kalista) Guilinger, Ashley (Colton) Isham, Hayley Guilinger, Hannah Guilinger, Maddi Guilinger, and Adam Guilinger; and six great-grandchildren, McKinlie, Harlow, Selena, Cash, Royce and Willow. Ancil is preceded in death by both parents; his in-laws, Richard (Martha) Rhoden; and three siblings, Mary Ellen Guilinger, Leslie (Ruth) Guilinger and Pat (Don) Schwass.