Michael Kilgore

Michael E. Kilgore, age 70, of Schiller Park, IL, passed away suddenly on June 20, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. 
He was born May 4, 1954, in Los Angeles, CA to his loving parents, Matthew Bolton and Margaret (née Schneider) Kilgore.

Mike served in the United States Army, enlisting directly from high school, on active duty for 3 years serving as a field medic during the Vietnam War era. He then served for 3 years on reserve duty before returning to civilian life. Mike then became educated in the medical field in emergency medicine, working in several hospital emergency rooms before becoming a Certified Paramedic in Chicago. He left the medical field in 1984 to return to school and become a computer programmer and worked for several large corporations in Chicago for over 20 years before retiring to become a full-time dad and pursue volunteer opportunities with the Boy Scouts of America and pursue what had become a passion for him in the sport of bowling. He worked part time for the Chicagoland Bowlers Association for a short time before retiring.

Mike was a three-sport athlete in high school (baseball, basketball, and football) and was always a fierce competitor. While working as a paramedic, he continued to participate in organized sports, playing softball in several traveling leagues and taking up the sport of bowling. He and his wife, Susan, met while bowling on different teams in a bowling league in Cicero, IL in 1981. Mike pursued excellence in this sport by attending school and becoming eligible to become a member of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA). He competed as a regional professional, spending weekends traveling with his family to PBA tournaments all over the Midwest while still working in computer programming. After he ceased participating in PBA tournaments, Mike became a member of the Amateur Bowlers Tour and bowled tournaments with that Club, winning 2 championships during the time he competed. Mike continued to bowl in weekly bowling leagues up until the time of his passing.

One of Mike’s greatest goals involved his annual participation in the USBC Open Tournaments that took place in different locations across the country each year. In June 2024, he was participating in his 33rd USBC Open Tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada, when he passed. He looked forward to bowling this tournament every year and worked diligently with his bowling coach to prepare for the competition. 

Mike’s career with the Boy Scouts of America began as a youth where he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 1971 and was inducted into the Brotherhood of the Order of the Arrow, which is the National Honor Society for the Scouting community. He was absent from Scouting for a time and returned to it in the mid 1990’s in support of his son in Cub Scout Pack 142. As his son bridged over to Boy Scout Troop 142, do did he. At that time, he served as Committee Member and Assistant Scoutmaster. During his time involved in Scouting, Mike was elected to become a Vigil Member of the Order of the Arrow, he served the Lodge as Historian and as Finance Advisor, guiding 8 lodge Treasurers. 

In addition to Mike’s service to the Order of the Arrow Lodge, Mike served for years as the Advancement Chairman in the Des Plaines Valley Council. Mike and his committee guided and mentored hundreds of young men on their Trail to Eagle, with the accomplishment of 155 Scouts in 2012. Mike was highly respected in both the Lodge and the Council and received 2 prestigious rewards. He received the Founders Award from the Lodge in 2006 and the Silver Beaver Award for Service to Youth in 2010 from the Boy Scouts of America.

Mike was preceded in death by his parents, Matthew Bolton and Margaret Kilgore, brother Richard Kilgore, brother-in-law, Thomas Hartwell, and nephew, Ethan Robert Harrison Hartwell. He is survived by his loving wife, Susan, his son, Michael, brothers-in law, Timothy (Susan) Hartwell, Woody (Gina) Hartwell, Ted Hartwell, and Todd (Tish) Hartwell; nieces and nephews, Dayne (Nicole) Hartwell, Phil (Rachel) Hartwell, Rachel (Kyle) Norris, Peter Hartwell, Maggie Hartwell, and Tori Hartwell; David (Jen) Hartwell and Daniel Hartwell and 13 great-nieces and great-nephews.