Eleanor Stillman

Eleanor Stillman, artist, mother, and friend, passed away in Brooklyn, New York after a long illness on May 4, 2018. She was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1928 and graduated from Shaker Heights High School in 1947. She is survived by her two daughters, Deanne, a writer in Los Angeles, and Nancy, a lawyer in New York, as well as a community of devoted friends and colleagues.

She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1949 at Bennington College, where she studied psychology with Erich Fromm, a pre-Nazi immigrant from Germany, and art with Simon Moselsio, a holocaust survivor. Eleanor had a passion for riding horses, and was an accomplished rider and showjumper in Hunting Valley, Ohio, and surrounding areas. To further her skills in horsemanship, she trained with Olympic champion General Humberto Mariles in Mexico. With a need to support her children at the end of a ten-year marriage in 1959, Eleanor became one of the first women exercise riders in the United States at Thistledown Racetrack in Ohio, home to the Ohio Derby. She galloped thoroughbreds for their daily workouts every morning at 5 a.m., working for horse trainer John Yakos, who became a lifelong friend. She continued her career on the racetrack until 1963. Her varied careers next led her to University School in Cleveland, Ohio where she taught art at the upper school at the old campus and new campus after beginning as a fourth-grade teacher. She later became head of the art department.

In 1973, Eleanor moved to New York City to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming an artist. Like many a Manhattan pilgrim, she was nurtured by Manhattan’s nonstop offerings of theatre, dance, music and art. She also was a serious sports fan, often invoking iconic moments such as the famous “Tinker to Evers to Chance” triple play in conversation. Additionally, those who knew her can attest to her great sense of humor, and she remained a lifelong fan of Shelley Berman, Jackie Mason, and even the Three Stooges (the original ones, of course!). Near the end of Eleanor’s life, she wrote in a journal that she was not concerned with the state of her body, but hoped “to keep her mind until the end.” And that she did, reading as much as she could in her final weeks; everything from news magazines to Upton Sinclair, listening to Louis Armstrong, Erroll Garner, opera and watching Fred Astaire dance in old movies.

A dedicated friend of animals, especially those in the greatest need, Eleanor helped them whenever she could. In her honor, if you would like, please send donations to your favorite animal charity, preferably a no-kill shelter, such as Sean Casey Animal Rescue in Brooklyn, New York at https://www.nyanimalrescue.org.