Thilo Howard Best

Thilo Howard Best died April 6, 2023. He was born August 31, 1931, in Evanston, Illinois and was raised in Kenilworth, Illinois, a suburb on the northshore of Chicago. He attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he was an agriculture major with an ROTC commission as a second lieutenant, He was also a member of Chi Psi Fraternity, and graduated in 1953. He was called to active duty as a Field Artillery Officer in the U.S. Army with service 1953-1955, primarily in Korea.

In 1956 Thilo enrolled in agriculture and business classes at Auburn University where he was later recruited for employment by Cargill, Inc., and held various leadership positions in Milwaukee, New York City, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Chattanooga. He and his wife Carol (Christianson) Best, and their two young children lived on Lookout Mountain, Georgia. Following their amicable divorce, Carol relocated to Chicago. Thilo subsequently met and married Louise (Gortner) Stout. They settled on Signal Mountain, blending their teenaged families of three Stout daughters with the Best son and daughter.

With his son at the Baylor School and daughter at Girls Preparatory School, Thilo resigned from Cargill, Inc., and purchased Ceramic Tile Supply, Inc., a tile distributor in the Southeast. Upon retirement Thilo traveled internationally and enjoyed tennis, handball and golf. He also increased his cultural, civic and philanthropic endeavors. As a lifelong Episcopalian, he was a member of The Church of the Good Shepherd, Lookout Mountain, and thereafter of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, Signal Mountain.

Thilo was an Eagle Scout with two Palms; a member of the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club, the Walden Club, and a lifetime member of the Charles H. Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center. As a past president of the Chattanooga Civitan Club he was a recipient of the Honor Key and the T.C. Thompson Award in recognition of exceptional service to Civitan and dedication to the children it serves. He served on the board of FACES-National Craniofacial Association as well as the board of Signal Center.

He was preceded in death by his father Thilo Max Best and mother Barbara Virginia (Campbell) Best and his only sibling Barbara Ann (Best) Bridges, all of Chicago, Illinois, and by former wives Carol (Christianson) Best and Louise (Gortner) Stout Best. He is survived by wife Phyllis (Wright) Shuptrine Best whom he married in 2009; son Thilo David Best (Betsy), Tampa, Florida; daughter Diana Lynn (Best) Ayers (Lee) Columbia, South Carolina; and daughters Susan (Stout) Hoffman (Kurt) and Carolyn (Stout) Horne (Allen), both of Hayesville, North Carolina; and Lee Anne (Stout) Fry (Bill), New York City; 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Thilo was well loved by many and was always a positive force. For those of us lucky enough to know him, he will be fondly remembered and deeply missed. Those who knew Thilo are invited to celebrate his legacy as a patriot, a patron, and a true Christian gentleman. His was a life well lived.

Burial with full military honors will be at 2:30 PM Friday, April 21, 2023 at Chattanooga National Cemetery. Visitation will be from 2 PM-3 PM Saturday, April 22, 2023, at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, on Signal Mountain followed by the memorial service with The Reverend Derrick Hill officiating.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers memorials be made to St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, 630 Mississippi Avenue, Signal Mountain, Tennessee 37377, to the Signal Center, 109 N. Germantown Road, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37411 or to FACES, PO Box 11082, Chattanooga, TN 37401..

Arrangements are by the East Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, 404 South Moore Road, East Ridge, Tennessee 37412. Please share your thoughts and memories at www.ChattanoogaEastChapel.com.