County Executive Edward P. Mangano Announces The Selection Of Elaine E. Stillwell For Nassau County's Senior Citizen Of The Year
Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano today announced that Elaine E. Stillwell of Rockville Centre has been selected as Nassau County Senior Citizen of the Year for 2011. He will present this award to Ms. Stillwell at the 37th Annual Older Americans Month Conference on Friday, May 13, at the Long Island Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Uniondale.
“From great loss she has created a network of caring and support for others at the worst moments in their lives. Her work has touched thousands of individuals here in our own County and around the country”, stated County Executive Mangano. “Elaine Stillwell is an inspiration to us all.”
Elaine Stillwell is a lifelong resident of Rockville Centre. She is a graduate of St. Agnes High School, and received a BA in English Literature from Manhattanville College, and MA and MS degrees in Counseling and Education from the University of Notre Dame and Hofstra University.
She spent 35 years teaching at the elementary school level in local public schools, retiring after 20 years spent at the Camp Avenue School in North Merrick.
Elaine came to her current vocation, working with bereaved families, after the deaths of her two oldest children, Denis 21 and Peggy 19, in an auto accident in 1986. After working through the experiences of grief, loss, and survival, Elaine and her husband Joe founded the Rockville Centre Chapter of the Compassionate Friends, a national self-help organization for bereaved parents and siblings. Today she continues as a leader attending monthly meetings and sharing her experiences with 60-70 bereaved parents, as well as 300 families who receive their monthly newsletter.
According to Elaine, “together we put bereavement on the map”. Prior to that, there had been little acknowledgement of the needs, and few programs to assist families suffering the death of a child or other family member.
From her work with Compassionate Friends came speaking engagements, workshops, seminars, radio and TV appearances, and magazine articles, and books. She is a sought-after speaker and keynoter, but always returns to her local chapter of The Compassionate Friends where it all began.
Elaine has helped many grieving families with her DVD “Helping Your Heart” and has written two books for children, “Sweet Memories” and “A Forever Angel” in response to requests from parents on how to help their young children deal with loss.
Elaine has coordinated bereavement programs for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, as well as coordinated the Diocesan Conferences for bereaved and caregivers, and she has served on the board of the National Catholic Ministry to the Bereaved. She is also a charter member of Bereaved Parents/USA and has worked closely with that organization. In October 2001 she set up the World Trade Center Book Distribution Center offering $100,000 worth of bereavement materials donated by U.S. publishers for WTC families and worked with parishes to meet the needs of these families.
According to Lisa Murphy, Acting Commissioner for the Department of Senor Citizen Affairs, “Elaine Stillwell is a woman filled with energy, enthusiasm, and empathy, who ministers wherever and whenever she sees the need. She has truly helped families become whole again.”
Elaine lives with her husband, Joe, in her hometown of Rockville Centre, enjoying her daughter Annie and grandson, Christopher, who live nearby. When asked how she has managed to keep up her hectic pace for 25 years, she responded, “Passion is the secret. I love what I do, and I love to see the beautiful things families are doing in memory of their children.”
For information and reservations for the 37th Annual Older Americans Month Luncheon/Conference, please contact the Nassau County Department of Senior Citizen Affairs at 227-8903. The fee is $40.00 per person. Advance reservations are required.
