John R. Stillman

John R. Stillman, 67, of Livingston, died Friday, April, 26, 2013, at his home on the Yellowstone River, after an extended illness. A celebration of John's life will be held at 5 p.m., Friday, May, 3, at the West Side School in Livingston. All John's friends are welcome to attend. John was born on Nov. 5, 1945, in Denver, the son of Harold and Jean (Broderick) Stillman. He attended the Colorado Academy high school and graduated with the class of 1964. He went on to further his education at Colorado College and graduated in the class of 1968. John entered active military service in the United States Army on Sept. 19, 1968, and served his country in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. He was wounded in action, awarded a Purple Heart medal and concluded his active duty in June 1970. He moved to Montana shortly thereafter, and settled in Livingston in 1973. On Feb. 19, 1977, John was married to Diane Klontz, at the family ranch east of Livingston. They shared 36 years of marriage, and were blessed with three children, Elaine, Zinn and Tyson. John was self-employed and operated his Rattlesnake Butte Farm in Faith, S.D., for 30 years as well as the family ranch in Livingston and other investments. John was a generous patron of the arts and other facets of the community. He was one of the founding directors of the Livingston Depot Foundation and served as its vice president from 1985 until the present day. He was a licensed pilot and served two terms on the Livingston/Park County Joint Airport Board, from 1993 to 2001. He served two years as the board's vice chairman. A lifetime artist and collector, John tried his hand at many media. He enjoyed creating prints and carvings in his studio. Shortly after moving to Livingston, he carried his interest in the arts further by purchasing and restoring the building that would ultimately become the Danforth Gallery. He eventually donated it to the Park County Friends of the Arts. John was an avid outdoorsman throughout his life. When he was younger, he enjoyed a wide variety of sports, including skiing and mountaineering, and served on a mountain rescue squad during high school. He was an active kayaker and canoer, and ventured as far as the rivers of the Yukon in those pursuits. In his life in Montana, he exercised his skills at fly-fishing and hunting and shared those passions with friends and visitors. His travels were almost always tied to his active outdoor life, and ranged far beyond the boundaries of his beloved Montana - ranging from deep-sea fishing off the shores of Mexico, to hiking in England and fishing the rivers of exotic Bhutan. He was also an avid reader and a student of history, and most recently developed an interest in the history of the earliest natives of the American Southwest. In contrast to his rugged outdoor life, John brought real meaning to the "gentle" part of "gentleman." He was especially fond of the times he spent with his family and friends, and particularly proud of his first grandchild, Elise, who arrived a little over a year ago. Blessed be his memory. John is survived by his wife, Diane Stillman, of Livingston; children, Elaine Uehlein and her husband, Christian, of Cambridge, Mass., Zinn Stillman, of Bozeman, and Tyson Stillman, of Bozeman; granddaughter, Elise Uehlein; sister-in-law, Pamela Tracy, of Livingston; mother-in-law, Barbara Klontz, of Livingston; and many other relatives and friends. John was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Jean Stillman; stepmother, Phyllis Stillman; sister, Anne Jordan and her son, Charlie Jordan. Cremation has taken place, under the direction of Franzen-Davis Funeral Home and Crematory. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in John's memory to Livingston Healthcare Hospice, 504 S. 13th Street, Livingston MT 59047; or to Livingston Depot Foundation, P.O. Box 1319, Livingston MT 59047.