Schuyler “Sky” Wentworth Horton II of Milo, Maine, and Orient, N.Y., passed away on July 23, 2022, at his home with his family by his side.
He was born in Orient, N.Y., on Dec. 28, 1962, to Stewart W. Y. Horton and Florence Tuthill Horton. He was predeceased by his father and is survived by his mother; wife, Xiaorong; daughter, May; sister, Suzanne; and brother, Sean.
From a young age, Schuyler had a deep love for music and was a naturally talented musician. He often fondly recalled the many nights he and his friends played music in his grandmother’s barn, writing and recording their own music.
After a brief service in the Army, Schuyler returned to school and finished his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Free-spirited Schuyler couldn’t stand the corporate culture; after graduation, he started his computer and internet company out of his parents’ garage in 1995, when the internet was still a novelty to many. He offered website design and internet hosting to local businesses and organizations on the East End of Long Island. Many of his customers have stayed with him to this day.
In 1997 to 1998, Schuyler worked on a project called Junior Summit ’98 at Media Lab in MIT. He worked as the “IT guy” to bring high school children from all over the world together via the internet, then in a face-to-face conference at the end. During that time, he was introduced to his future wife, Xiaorong, by a co-worker/friend as a pen pal. Thousands of emails, countless hours of international phone calls and two trips to China later, Schuyler and Xiaorong married in February 2000.
In the summer of 2001, Schuyler came to Milo to help a friend work on their camp. When in town, he spotted a pretty old New Englander with a huge barn for sale. It reminded him of his grandmother’s home and barn so much that he bought the house with the help of his parents. It was supposed to be a “someday” summer home, but when Schuyler found out a baby was on the way, he came to Milo with a truckload of tools to fix up the house. Baby May was born in 2002, and the family moved into the Milo home in the spring of 2003.
May was the joy of Schuyler’s world. He put that joy into music and wrote a small piece just for May before she was even born. He played piano with her when she could barely sit on his lap, and they would often make up silly songs together during the long drives to visit his parents. When she was in middle school and wanted to continue to learn piano, he spent hours researching and used his “secret stash” to buy a baby grand piano for her because he knew a good instrument is just as important as hours of practice.
Schuyler was talented but never learned to read or write sheet music; he played solely from the heart. That is until 2015, while researching how to fix a broken Korg Synth, he stumbled upon a new world of music technology. He bought a few of these tools and began composing and recording. Once he discovered it was possible to play any instrument just by the familiar keys of the piano, he dived into it; he took music theory lessons from teachers at May’s high school and taught himself to write sheet music.
Schuyler made many friends in the composing world. Because of his IT background, he picked up the technology quickly and was patient when answering others’ tech questions. He shared his tips and tech notes freely with others and worked on many collaborative pieces. The time and effort Schuyler put into his music is evident in the audible growth between his first album, “Compassion,” and his latest release, “Damage.”
Most of all, Schuyler loved his family. He took care of everyone before himself. He brought his brother. Sean, up to Maine from California so that Sean could rest and regain his health after a terrible motorcycle accident. He also had been caring for his elderly mother with Alzheimer’s for the past three years. He converted a side room into a bedroom for her, prepared her daily meds, spent time chatting with her on the porch, took her to countless doctor appointments, and washed her laundry every night after everyone else went to bed. This summer, he promised Xiaorong a tea garden, and after spending hours researching design ideas, he devoted his weekends to putting it together. He was the single-handed support system of his entire family and the most selfless friend, son, brother, father and husband anyone could hope for.
He will be so terribly missed.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 31, at Three River Kiwanis Headquarters in Milo. A burial service and celebration of life will take place in Orient at a later date.
Memorial donations may be made to the Caregiver Respite Program at Eastern Area Agency on Aging (eaaa.org/donate-now).
Arrangements are in the care of the Lary Funeral Home in Milo. Messages of condolence may be expressed at laryfuneralhome.com.
This is a paid notice.
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