Helen Jean Stillwell

Helen Jean Stilwell, age 95, of Washington, DC; Upper Marlboro, MD; and Tampa, Florida; passed away at home surrounded by beloved family on Friday, November 10, 2023. Loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother, for nine and a half decades; Helen “Jean” Stillwell greeted all with sparkly eyes and a welcoming smile, regularly bursting into song from a deep reserve of tunes from the musical eras of her life. “Jean”, “Mom”, or “Granny” loved spending time with family and friends, being active in the church, traveling and camping, dressing up in bright colors, sewing and crocheting, going barefoot, gardening, and bouncing a baby on her knee. She was always available for a story, a pep talk, a show tune, or to ask for a delicious snack.

She was fueled by the love of her family, the sweet memories of her husband of 48 years, John Maurice Stillwell, Jr., a deep love of God and Jesus, music and song, and ice cream. The granddaughter of a Methodist preacher from the mountains of Tennessee, she is known for her deep love of music, singing, and prayer (this cannot be overstated). She could dig down into the chasm of her memory and pull out a lyric, a hymn, or scripture to fit any moment or life challenge. She made a point of staying connected to her loved ones by phone (she was always on the phone), letters, and in-person visits. Her letters were intentional and personal and usually arrived with a special gift such as a pickle recipe or something that reminded her of the beloved recipient. She loved meeting new people, traveling to new places, and visiting with lifetime friends. She loved her people dearly but could be cantankerous at times, delivering her truth, whether you wanted to hear it or not, yet would settle things with a hug eventually. She was a connector of people, and she loved living life to its fullest.

Born at Victoria Hospital in Miami, Florida on February 11, 1928, Jean was the daughter of Velma Nora Pippin Edington O’Brien and Archibald Matthew Edington. Raised in the Anacostia neighborhood of Southeast Washington, DC; she also lived in Seymour, Tennessee and enjoyed summers with her “grandma and grandpa” in Knoxville where her grandfather was a Methodist preacher and her mom played piano in his church. Her first school was Congress Heights Elementary, where her favorite class was art with Miss Dickey. She attended Anacostia Junior High School and graduated from Anacostia High School in 1946.

Two months after he returned from World War II, she married the love of her life, John Maurice Stillwell, Jr. in District Heights, Maryland on February 17, 1946 by Reverend Robert Wittenberg, a descendant of Davy Crockett. They met through letter writing when “Johnny” or “Grandad” was an army sergeant commanding a team and living in a tank in the frigid cold during the Battle of the Bulge, the last major battle during World War II in the Ardennes region between Belgium and Luxembourg. He was awarded The Bronze Star for heroism during the Battle of the Ruins in Saint-Lô, Normandy, France. True love at first sight, they married to the surprise of their parents and had no honeymoon nor a place to live until her brother Archie found an apartment for them at 221 Mississippi Avenue in Anacostia. They lived there until shortly after their first baby, Deidra, arrived in 1950. They moved to Forestville, Maryland before settling down at 12809 Old Marlboro Pike for twenty-five years to raise their five children (Deidra, John “Jack”, James Timothy “Tim”, JoAnne, and William “Bill”) before moving to Florida part-time in 1983, because Grandad did not like the cold. They both worked for C&P Telephone Company and belonged to the BelTel Trampers Camping Club. The Stillwells were charter members of the Grace Brethren Church in Maryland and devoted church goers throughout their lives.

Granny and Grandad loved the beach. As a young family, they visited Ocean City every summer staying on the bayside in a little house rental (at the current location of Seacrets). Even after moving south full-time, and Grandad’s passing in May 1994, Granny spent many summers in Ocean City with her extended family and friends, filling her vacation rental at Mallard Lakes to overflowing. Granny loved to travel and saw a good bit of the world including driving to every state in the U.S. with Grandad and then onward through Mexico to the Yucatán Peninsula in their brown Leisure Van bringing back Creme de Menthe and Mexican blankets for the family. She traveled to Jerusalem and throughout Israel, the Holy Land; and one of her dreams came true when her youngest daughter Joanne took her on a Viking River Cruise to visit Highclere Castle from one of her favorite television shows, Downton Abbey. She also traveled to Normandy, France; Budapest; Alaska to visit glaciers, Hawaii, and more.

She deeply loved her family, leaving behind a huge legacy of children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband John Maurice Stillwell, Jr., her mother Velma “Nana” and father Archibald Matthew, her brother Archie, her Aunt Ruth and Uncle Charlie Graham, cousins Ruth, Earl, Tom, Don and Billy Pippin, and many ancestors. She is survived by her five children, their spouses, twelve grandchildren, eighteen great-grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren including: Deidra Jean McLellan, her husband Frank, her daughters Jennifer and Jayme, Jennifer’s son Christopher and his children Liam, Elijah and Alaina (the great-great grandchildren); John “Jack” Maurice Stillwell, III, his daughter Kelley, her husband Spencer, and their daughter Eve; Casey and her husband David, and their daughter Kiley Mae; James Timothy “Tim” Stillwell, his wife Pamela and their son Nathan; JoAnne Stillwell and her daughters Kathleen, her husband Arthur and children Tucker, Cameron and Winnie; Rachael and her husband Jeremy, children Seth, Austin, Lily and Ayla; Julianna and her husband Matt and their children Bennett and Emelia; Melissa and her husband Brendan, children Aria and Kinsley; and William “Bill” Stillwell, his wife Tina and their children John Nicholas, his children Addison & Madelyn; Ksenia and her children Everleigh and River, and Samantha. She is also survived by her nephews Brian and Mark Edington and beloved family and friends from throughout her life including cousins, classmates, sorority sisters, friends from church, neighbors, friends of her children who became her friends, and a long list of people she was looking forward to meeting again in heaven. Her spirit lives on through her family, her memory, her beautiful voice that we hear in our hearts, her deep and everlasting love of God, and her enduring wish for love and togetherness.

We will see you in heaven, Granny, and we love you forever.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Keystone United Methodist in memory of H. Jean Stillwell.

A visitation for Helen will be held Sunday, November 26, 2023 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Blount and Curry Funeral Home Oldsmar West Hillsborough Chapel, 6802 Silvermill Dr, Tampa, FL 33635. A funeral service will occur Tuesday, November 28, 2023 at 10AM at Keystone United Methodist Church, 16301 Race Track Rd, Odessa, FL 33556 with committal services to follow at Florida National Cemetery, 6502 S. W. 102nd Ave, Bushnell, FL 33513.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.blountcurrywest.com for the Stillwell family.