Monica Shillings Biroc

Monica Biroc, 66, passed away peacefully on October 22, 2025, in Jacksonville, Florida, surrounded by her loving family.

Our beloved Monica was born on December 16, 1958, in Glen Ridge, NJ to Heinrich and Ingeborg Shillings. She joined her older sister, Yvonne and later by her younger sister, Sandra, in their Cedar Grove, NJ residence. Their active home was filled with family events, holiday celebrations, music, books, chores, and international visitors. In the summer, Monica and her family enjoyed their time swimming, boating, and waterskiing at Lake Wallenpaupack in Pennsylvania.

Monica lived an adventurous life filled with love, laughter, family, and career. She primarily spent her life in New Jersey, where she and her husband, Pat Biroc, shared a fulfilling 41-year marriage complete with mutual love, the joy of children, and eclectic friendships. Later in life, she relocated to San Antonio, TX with Pat and their children, Kimberly and Christopher. St. Augustine, FL became their retirement destination which she fully embraced.

As a lifelong learner, she earned a BS in Accountancy at Bryant University in Rhode Island, a Colorado CPA and a PMP in NJ. Her academic background served her well during her 20+ year career at Prudential Financial. Monica rose to the EVP level through her accomplishments in the Bond Operations, Risk Management, Merger and Acquisition and Project Management groups. After Prudential, she decided financial consulting would be rewarding and joined Resources Global Professionals to work with Fortune 500 organizations. Before retirement, she closed out her career with USAA, Becton Dickinson, and Whataburger of San Antonio, TX. Throughout her working life, she was an understated, highly respected leader that mentored other professionals and successfully led complicated initiatives.

Always ready to see everyone’s best side, she did so with a vibrant smile and open heart. Her happiness was found not in a place, but in the company she kept. Present and engaged, Monica was always ready to plan the next dinner, get together or trip. People gravitated to her positivity and intelligence. She believed that life was a participatory endeavor and jumped in. She loved to free dance to Rock & Roll, glide in a Waltz or spin through the moves in Rhumba, Cha-Cha, and East Coast swing. She was a graceful skier that could make traversing black diamond trails appear easy. Her green thumb graced every family home, and she found joy in the quiet rhythm of the earth — in the whisper of trees, the call of birds, and the endless path ahead. Extensive traveling gave her other worlds to explore and experience, even if just for a short while.

As an active member of Grace Methodist Church, she rang choir bells during services, was a Stephen Minister and Women’s bible study member. The Lionshead Lake volleyball team that she was a part of won multiple championships. Always ready to contribute, she translated Braille, painted VBS scenery, contacted shut-ins during COVID-19 and gave of her talents with grace.

Monica’s focus was always on her surviving family members including — her daughter Kimberly and partner Joseph, her son, Christopher, her husband, Pat, her sisters, Yvonne and Sandra, her brother-In-laws, Jim, George, Lance, and Rich, her sister-in-law, Lizette, her nieces, Katie, Christine, Rachelle, Renee and Sophia, her nephews, James, Michael, Thomas and Marcus. She was predeceased by her mother, Ingeborg Shillings, her father, Heinrich Shillings, her aunt, Marianne Istecki, her mother-in-law, Barbara Biroc, her father-in-law, Bert Biroc and her sister-in-law, Susan Stender.

To know Monica was to know kindness, warmth, and a touch of charisma. She lived her life with love, joy and purpose with vacations and accomplishments mixed in. She will be missed by all who were touched by her.

Upcoming celebrations of life will be held with her family and friends in Florida, Texas, and New Jersey. Details will be shared later.

In place of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Monica’s name are asked to donate to the following organization:

Grace Methodist Church

8 Carrera St.,

St. Augustine, FL 32084

Re: Capital fund

https://www.gracestaugustine.org/