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Community Corner

RVC's Elaine Stillwell Named County's 'Senior Citizen of the Year'

The former bereavement coordinator continues her work even in retirement.

After 25 years of providing bereavement support for local families, Rockville Centre resident Elaine Stillwell has been named Nassau County’s Senior Citizen of the year by County Executive Edward P. Mangano.

“I was very surprised since I did not know there was such an award,” said Stillwell about receiving the honor. “But I was very thrilled and deeply touched to know that all my work was appreciated.”

In 1986, after losing her two eldest children in a car accident, Stillwell and her husband Joe founded the Compassionate Friends of Rockville Centre, a national support group for bereaved parents and siblings. Today, she continues to lead the group’s local meetings and distributes a monthly newsletter that reaches more than 300 families.

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“From great loss [Stillwell] has created a network of caring and support for others at the worst moments in their lives,” Mangano said in a statement. “Her work has touched thousands of individuals here in our own county and around the country.”

Stillwell credits her husband with helping to make her work possible throughout the years. “He is the behind-the-scenes man who does everything necessary to have things run smoothly,” she said. “We make a great team.”

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In addition to the Compassionate Friends of Rockville Centre, Stillwell has coordinated major bereavement conferences and served as a presenter and keynote speaker at various events. She produced a DVD called Helping Your Heart and wrote two children’s books, Sweet Memories and A Forever Angel, to help young children cope with loss. Stillwell also taught elementary school for 35 years.

Last June, Stillwell retired as the Bereavement Coordinator for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, a position that she held for 12 years. “I might be retired from a paying job, but I'm thoroughly involved in helping the bereaved through inspiration, writing, speaking and creating programs for them,” she explained. Ever since, Stillwell has focused on her work with the support group as well as various writing projects.

“Having a passion for something and doing it with your whole heart and soul keeps you young at heart and involved with others,” Stillwell said. “In my case, it helps people remember my Peggy and Denis, or as I lovingly call it, sharing Peggy and Denis with the world." 

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