E-mail from Fritz Thomas 10/18/09:
“Syd” was a very accomplished fellow. Aside from his medical expertise he was a sailor. had his own boat, did a lot of sailing ,and if I'm not mistaken was affiliated with the Naval War College and was privey to their activities. I remember him bringing that up when he was visiting us years ago.


Lived at 534 Walnut St.
J. Sydney Stillman, rheumatologist, professor emeritus of medicine at HMS, and retired chief of medicine at Boston's Robert B. Brigham Hospital, died December 20 at the age of 90. His death resulted from injuries suffered when he was struck by an automobile on December 1.

Born in Catasauqua, Pa., he graduated from Amherst College in 1929 and HMS in 1934. He later served in the Army as chief of medicine at Pasadena Regional Hospital in California during World War II.

From 1940 to 1966, Stillman was chief of medicine at Robert B. Brigham Hospital, now a part of Brigham and Women's. There, he also served as director of the Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Research Center, and after more than 30 years as a member of the hospital staff, became a member of the institution's corporation in 1974. In 1989, Stillman received the Brigham and Women's President's Medal for distinguished service to the hospital. Known for his development of diagnostic and treatment techniques for children and adolescents, he was one of the first in his field to integrate clinical practice with academia.

He leaves his wife, Anne (Routh); two sons, Charles of Seattle and James III of Concord; a daughter, Daphne Holmquist of Reston, Va.; two stepdaughters, Terry Taffinder Grosvenor and Lisa Taffinder Stubbs, both of Newport; and six grandchildren.