Honoring Shiloh’s Life & Legacy

It is with heavy hearts that we share news of Shiloh Skalka’s passing, who left us on July 16, 2026, at the age of 16. Shiloh was a brilliant and perceptive young woman whose intelligence, gentle sense of humor, and quiet yet fierce independence touched those fortunate enough to know her.

A rising junior at Burlington High School, Shiloh excelled in history, science, and especially art. Through her paintings and drawings, she expressed depth and insight that reflected her soulfulness. Shiloh also had a profound love for the outdoors that she explored by hiking, skiing, and riding horses and bikes. She was a devoted cat lover, a caring sister to her twin brother Kaz, and a cherished friend whose kindness, quick wit, and laughter brought light into every room she entered.

Our family is establishing a Vermont Community Foundation (vermontcf.org) memorial fund in Shiloh’s name to carry forward her legacy of kindness. We invite family, friends, and neighbors who were touched by their time and connections with Shiloh to join us in honoring her memory.

All donations will be coordinated through a managed fund to directly support giving to local organizations and community programs aligned with Shiloh’s values, including:

• Creativity: Supporting youth art initiatives, creative expression, and local arts programs.

• Community: Empowering local and school-based youth programs and community-building efforts.

• Compassion: Funding animal welfare initiatives and other compassionate causes.

Through this fund we will share Shiloh’s light, warmth, and profound appreciation for the beauty of the world with others, so that her life and memory will continue to inspire and uplift.

How You Can Help Remember Shiloh:

Donate: Any contribution, regardless of size, helps establish this lasting fund in Shiloh’s memory. We appreciate our community’s embrace in this difficult time and are using this fund to channel it into a structure that will maintain Shiloh’s legacy.

Share: Please share this fund with friends, family, and community members and others who knew and were touched by their relationship with Shiloh and who would like to honor her memory.

Remember: Feel free to leave a favorite memory of Shiloh or message of comfort for Shiloh’s family in the comments below or on the Ready Funeral Home’s tribute page: www.readyfuneral.com.

Thank you for your generosity, love, and for holding Shiloh and our family in your hearts.

For anyone hoping to make a significant contribution to the Fund directly through VCF instead of GoFundMe, here is some helpful information about how you can make a gift towards the existing fund:

VCF EIN: 22-2712160 (useful if you have a company match)

Send a Check:

The Vermont Community Foundation

3 Court Street

Middlebury, VT 05753

Attn: Shiloh Skalka Memorial Fund

Note: It's also helpful to add the fund title in the memo line of the check, if possible

For instructions on how to send Gifts of Stock, Mutual Funds, ACH/Wire Transfers, fundholders, donors, or their financial representatives/advisors may fill out this form, and a member of the Philanthropy team will send you the information.