William Laverne Stillman and Elizabeth C. Stillman (Class of ’33) Scholarship Fund

“No one would ever know what old age was with Bette,” exclaims longtime friend Susie Lamphere of Elizabeth Stillman, who died in December 2006 at age 91. The ladies were half of a close-knit foursome of friends that also included Barbara Nugent and the late Dorcas Van Horn, the latter whom Ms. Stillman grew up with in Westerly.

“We had a blast, the four of us. We used to play cards and it would take Bette so long, but she won every time. We used to throw our cards,” Ms. Nugent says, laughing at the memory of the woman she describes as “a sweet, lovely lady.”

Elizabeth “Bette” (Clark) Stillman was born in Westerly in 1915. She graduated from Westerly High School in 1933 and continued her education at Lasell College in Auburndale, MA. She then worked in the payroll department of the former Cottrell Company, later the Harris Corporation, in Pawcatuck.

Ms. Lamphere’s father also worked at Cottrell, and it was at company outings at Ocean Beach that friendships were formed between the families. Ms. Lamphere remembers the events fondly, noting, “You could eat all day long and then go on all the rides.”

Ms. Stillman married her husband, William Laverne, in 1950. Born in Stonington, he was a machine operator at Bostitch for 30 years and was active in the Pawcatuck and Franklin Masonic Lodges. The Stillmans were active at the Westerly Senior Citizens Center, where he founded the Senior Song Birds Chorus, as well as at Pawcatuck Seventh Day Baptist Church. Mr. Stillman died in 1988 at age 70.

“Laverne used to be Santa Claus at the church. He had a very deep ‘ho ho ho’. And Bette was always beside him. They were a very devoted couple…and pillars of the town,” Ms. Lamphere reminisces, adding “She was a very giving person, but she did it very quietly.”

That quiet giving continues through this endowment. Designated for Ms. Stillman’s alma mater, Westerly High School, the fund will provide scholarships in the couple’s names forever.

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