Obituary of Rebecca Goldie Stilwell

August 15, 1930 – Calgary, Alberta

September 1, 2021 – Calgary, Alberta

Rebecca (Reva) Goldie Stilwell (née Sheinin) passed peacefully on Wednesday, September 1, 2021, surrounded by family.

Reva was born in Calgary, AB, on August 15, 1930, to Cecil and Ellen Sheinin, and lived there for most of her life. She ventured beyond Canada through her voracious reading habits and constant engagement with world affairs; additionally, she travelled to places such as Israel, the U.K., Thailand and Cuba with family members. She was always up for local fun (like salsa dancing), history (ALL the Roman remnants) and learning from the people she met (understanding every word in any accent, no matter how thick).

Reva graduated from the University of Alberta with a B.Sc. Physics in 1952, where she met the father of her children, William (Bill) Vaughan Stilwell. They were married from 1952 to 1976. Her education was interrupted by five children arriving in rather quick succession. In 1963, she returned to university to complete her B.Ed., then her M.Ed in 1976. She taught at Mount Royal College in Calgary for the majority of her career, helping those who thought they “couldn’t do math” succeed and move forward with their educational goals.

In the 80s, Reva was inspired to take a teaching job in Zimbabwe. There, she taught math educators, travelling from colleges to villages and making dear friends along the way. As her grandchildren appeared, Reva was compelled to return to Canada; helping her kids and spending time with grandchildren was the most important thing to her, despite her remarkable accomplishments.

Her grandchildren’s adoration is a testament to her giving spirit; she spent hours upon hours delighting in each of them – playing outside, building and creating, reading, cooking, and tucking in. As the years went by, she took an active interest in everything they did, from sports and dance to movies and music; physics and literature to biology and sociology – and she was always up for a fiery debate about politics, conspiracy theories and current events. She was mostly right, of course.

Reva will be remembered for her intelligence, progressive point-of-view, and independence. The Edmonton Journal featured her in a 1950s story, marvelling at her clothing (work boots and jeans instead of pumps and a shift) and hobbies (she was building a transistor radio for fun while her toddlers got as dirty as they wanted to). The reporter wasn’t wrong when they said she was atypical for her time. She made her kids eat whole wheat bread and avoid processed food before it was a thing, kept her kids away from TV and into books, and, with Bill’s support, kept her daughters’ hair short in the name of feminism.

Her robust laugh is easy to recall; her sense of humour was never far from the surface. Always genuine and easy-going, she taught her family to be open-minded and compassionate. She was the first to defend the misunderstood, instantly at the side of friends or family in need, and supported many charities and causes. She was an active peacenik protestor, wearing “Ban the Bomb'' buttons before they were cool. She was a member of the Voice of Women, a long-time head of the Mount Royal College Department of Math, and president of the Faculty Association. She was also an integral part of Decidedly Jazz Danceworks’ history as a volunteer and donor.

She is survived by Bill, their five children, eleven grandchildren, one great-granddaughter, as well as her sister, Anne Robertson (Vancouver). She was an inspiration to all of them, and it’s quite a list: David and Terry Stilwell and their children, Joe (Michelle) and Nate; Moira Stilwell and Sam Lichetenstein and their children, Sascha, Kevin, and Julia (Jon Davis and daughter Frida); Kurt (Catherine Butlin, deceased) and their children, Jake (Julie Michetti) and Jesse (Braden Muenchrath); Linda and Geoff Williams and their children Carly, Ella and Ross; and Hannah Stilwell (Robb Beeman) and her daughter Yaisha (father Israel Berriel). Reva was predeceased by her brother Joe Sheinin and remained very close to his daughters Rachel (Nicole) and Lisa (Howard, Jonah and Elka).

Please enjoy a walk in nature and ponder the clouds in Reva’s honour. Condolences, memories and photos may be shared and viewed here.

In living memory of Rebecca Stilwell, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area