Philanthropist, Arts Benefactor Stillwell Dies

Glen E. Stillwell, a retired Orange County businessman and well-known philanthropist, died last week at his Newport Beach home after a lengthy illness. He was 79.

Stillwell and his wife, Dotti, were among the founding benefactors of the Orange County Performing Arts Center, where he was remembered Thursday for his quiet generosity.

“He was a very kind, very gentle man who very discreetly made a big difference in the lives of many people in this community,” said Mark Johnson, board chairman for the center in Costa Mesa.

Family members also recalled his modesty and generosity.

“He never liked opening presents,” said his sister Lori Guss, 55, of Manhattan Beach. “He’d rather be giving them away.”

Stillwell, who grew up in the Midwest and the South, moved to California in 1940. He worked in the aerospace industry and in 1950 founded Airdrome Parts Co. After he sold the company in 1980, Stillwell and his wife dedicated themselves to charitable causes. Among their projects was the Glen and Dorothy Stillwell Charitable Trust, which they endowed with more than $1 million to support Orange County women and children in need.

Stillwell’s sister June Hunnicutt recalled this week that their roots were humble.

“We were just a poor family, not wealthy by any means,” said Hunnicutt,) 77, of Hemet. “But after he was able to, he always gave back.”

A lifelong Republican, Stillwell was a member of the Lincoln Club, an influential Republican organization that helped to shape Orange County’s conservative political character.

Besides his wife of 52 years and his two sisters, Stillwell is survived by sons Thomas and Richard and two granddaughters.

A memorial service is set for 11 a.m. March 13 at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach. The family requests that those who wish to make memorial donations do so with gifts to their own favorite charities.