By LEAH WEATHERSBY

The Licton Springs community recently lost a neighborhood institution, Charles Pilling, a lifelong resident who passed away at his home at the age of 90 on Oct. 25.

Pilling was personally responsible for creating what is likely the neighborhood's best-loved landmark, Pilling's Pond located on N 90th Street, just a few blocks east of Aurora. That pond is now a strong, silent reminder of the dairy farmer's son who would grow up to become a world-class waterfowl breeder.

Pilling started digging the pond when he was 12 years old, after his family's doctor brought him three crippled mallard ducks to care for. He fed the pool with water from Licton Springs, which ran right through his family's back yard.

Unable to afford college, Pilling eventually went to work driving tanker trucks for Texaco, but he continued to spend his spare moments at the pond, tending to his ducks.

Over the years, Pilling collected more birds, becoming an expert duck breeder who earned international recognition, including three First Breeding Awards for becoming the first person ever to breed the hooded merganser duck (1955), the bufflehead duck (1964), and harlequin duck (1977) in captivity. His achievements were chronicled in national magazines, including the Audubon magazine which hailed him as "one of the foremost aviculturists in the United States."

In 1990, he was inducted into the International Wild Waterfowl Association's Hall of Fame in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

However, in recent years Pilling had tapered off his duck rearing efforts and this last year he had struggled with various illnesses associated with old age.

According to to Yvonne Pilling Zoretic, one of Pilling's 15 grandchildren, Pilling had been in and out of the hospital in recent months, but he was still able to spend his 90th birthday, Oct. 6, at home. The family was also able to bring him home for his last day.

While Pilling was in a coma right before he died, Zoretic said the family feels he must have been somewhat aware of his surroundings. As children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren gathered around, they waited for Pilling's son, Dennis, to arrive from Montana so that he could see his father one last time.

"As soon as Denny walked in the door, grandpa just let go," Zoretic said.

The family continues to pull together to help preserve Charles Pilling's legacy. Jerene Pilling, another grand-daughter, moved to Seattle from Spokane so that she could help take care of Charles Pilling's widow, June, who is 85 and will continue to live in the house she and her husband shared. Zoretic's father, James Pilling, has been looking after the birds that still live on the property.

"(My father) was the kid ... who really took to what my grandfather started," Zoretic said. The fate of Pilling's Pond is somewhat in question right now, though the Pilling family and Friends of Pilling's Pond, a committee of the Licton Springs Community Council, are working together to protect it. Zoretic said that right now the community council is working on an agreement to buy a conservation easement (which would preserve both the pond and the view of the pond from the sidewalk) from the family. Zoretic said that some family members have expressed an interest in purchasing the property in the future, though at this point that has not been decided.

Meanwhile Charles Pilling's neighbors and relatives will remember him as what he was to them: a caring family man and educator.

"The way I remember grandpa is as a teacher, answering people's questions. He could just talk for hours about his birds," said Zoretic. "He loved to have classes come through so he could teach them what he knew. He was so kind and gentle - he had so much silent strength."

Charles Pilling is survived by his wife June, his sons James, Jerry and Dennis, his daughter, Diane, 15 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

For more information about Friends of Pilling's Pond, contact Bob Messina at 528-7790. (