Dr. Thomas C Stilwell
April 11, 1941 ~ June 9, 2020 (age 79)
Obituary
Dr. Thomas C. Stilwell, 79, of Martinsville, Ohio died Tuesday, June 9, 2020 at Clinton Memorial Hospital, Wilmington, Ohio. His wife, Norma H. Duran, whom he married June 1, 1980, survives. He was born April 11, 1941 in Piqua, Ohio, son of the late William and Wilma Thomas Stilwell. He served in the U.S. Army during Vietnam. Dr. Stilwell received his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and Ph.D. from The Ohio State University.
Dr. Stilwell was devoted to helping countries develop their agricultural studies. His professional experiences included work in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the United States. He was dedicated to the training, teaching and coordination of national scientists and expatriates.
In Mexico he worked as an instructor in a practical, field-oriented training program. In Bolivia he was involved on-the-job training plus formal courses and presentations to farmers and researchers. While in Cameroon, he supervised in-country practical training courses and 16 national researchers in graduate training programs. In Ecuador, he trained extension agents and prepared farmer level publications. He also taught various microcomputer application courses in the United States, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Dr. Stilwell eventually became an agriculture professor at Wilmington College. During his 18 years at Wilmington College, co-authored a textbook on world food production, and started the largest living plant museum in the United States. Dr. Stilwell retired in 2019.
In addition to his wife, Dr. Stilwell is survived by a son, Tomas (Kathy) Stilwell of Cincinnati, Ohio; two daughters, Gabriela (Hung Nguyen) Stilwell of Miamisburg, Ohio and Carolyn (Robert Anderson) Stilwell of Chelsey, Michigan; a brother, Douglas (Marj) Stilwell of Piqua, Ohio; a sister, Marilyn (Galen) Ketrow of Piqua, Ohio; eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon, Friday, June 12, 2020 at the Reynolds-Smith Funeral Home, 327 N. South Street, Wilmington, Ohio. Social distancing guidelines will be followed, and the family has kindly asked that those in attendance wear a facemask. The funeral service, which will be live streamed on the funeral home’s website, will begin at 12:00 Noon, Friday. Burial will be in Sugar Grove Cemetery, Wilmington, Ohio.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Dr. Stilwell’s memory may be made to Wilmington College, c/o the Advancement Office, 1870 Quaker Way, Wilmington, Ohio 45177. Those funds will be used in support of international travel opportunities for agriculture students at WC.