Gerald “Jerry” Stillings, 76 of Mulberry passed away peacefully June 29, 2021 following a severe stroke. Jerry was born December 9, 1944 in Crawfordsville, Indiana as the only child of Harold and Mildred (Cunningham) Stillings. He graduated from Crawfordsville High School in 1963 and graduated cum laude from Purdue University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Wildlife Management in 1968. He served in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1971, entering Utah State University after his honorable discharge, where he was elected to Xi Sigma Pi and earned his Master’s Degree in Fisheries Biology, with a minor in Water Quality Control, in 1973.
Jerry married Nicki Sutton on August 12, 1967, in Mulberry. During their 53 years of marriage, they lived in Indiana, Illinois, Utah, Maryland, and New York. Jerry worked as a fisheries biologist for the State of New York before returning to Indiana in 1976 as the manager of the Avoca State Fish Hatchery in Lawrence County. In Avoca he supervised the fish hatchery and surrounding watershed, managed over 60 public fishing sites, and, as district biologist, implemented the first computerized fisheries records for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
His growing interest in computer technology led to his second Master’s Degree in Computer Education at Purdue University. Jerry taught at Ivy Tech in Lafayette before joining Purdue’s staff as an information technology professional. He worked in several departments at Purdue before retiring from the Forestry Department in the College of Agriculture in 2015.
Active in his community, Jerry served two terms on the Clinton Prairie Advisory Committee and was a former member of the Mulberry Community Club. He served in several positions on the Mulberry Town Council, including council President, from 1992 until he stepped down as 2019. Outside of work and public service, Jerry’s interests included spending time with his growing family, and supporting the Boston Celtics and the Boston Red Sox. He was a passionate environmentalist and supported several conservation and preservation organizations. An avid fly fisherman, he was always eager to get back out on the stream.
Jerry is survived by his wife of 53 years, two sons: Nick (Denise) Stillings of Chanhassen, Minnesota and Ken (Micki) Stillings of Lafayette. He also leaves ten grandchildren: Abigail, Alex, Anna, and Avery Stillings of Chanhassen and Callie, Caya, Cameron, Claire, Carter, and Cooper Stillings of Lafayette. He is survived by two sisters-in-law who reside in Indiana and numerous cousins in both Indiana and New Hampshire.
A memorial service will be held Sunday, July 25 at the Genda Funeral Home, 204 North Glick St., Mulberry IN. Calling hours are 1:00 – 3:00 pm with a memorial service at 3:00 pm. A private inurnment at the Fair Haven Cemetery will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution to Trout Unlimited or the Sierra Club. Jerry’s online memorial for Trout Unlimited is at https://tinyurl.com/stillings-tu or by mail at Trout Unlimited Central Indiana, 1777 N. Kent Street, Suite 100; Arlington, VA 22209-3801. For the Sierra Club please visit https://tinyurl.com/stillings-sc or make a contribution by mail to Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter; Indiana Interchurch Center; 1100 W. 42nd Street, Suite 215; Indianapolis, IN 46208.
Online condolences may be directed to www.gendafuneralhome.com.