Dundee-Crown junior class president dies

Dundee-Crown High School’s junior class president was found dead in his home Friday morning. A deputy coroner believes he likely died of natural causes.

An autopsy for Christian Stilwell, 17, of Algonquin is scheduled for Saturday morning, Deputy McHenry County Coroner Kim Bostic said. “At this point it looks like natural causes,” she said. “There is no indication of suicide or foul play at this point.” Algonquin Police Deputy Chief Ed Urban said Christian’s mother found him unresponsive in his bed about 6:30 a.m. Friday.

Denise Stilwell is a music teacher at Golfview Elementary School.

Dundee-Crown junior Molly Schoenherr, who met Christian in the second grade, said he was the kind of guy who always wanted to be there for others — no matter what was going on in his own life.

Recently, Christian didn’t make the cut for a leadership conference he wanted to attend, Schoenherr said. Despite his disappointment, the day he found out about the rejection Christian continued to be his usually chatty and energetic self around friends, she said.

“He was so nice,” she said. “If he was having a bad day, it didn’t matter. He always wanted to comfort you,” she said.

Friend Carolyn Clarton, also a junior at Dundee-Crown, said that Christian came to school with a bunch of red roses on Valentine’s Day and gave one each to several girls. Each rose had a nice, friendly note attached to it. “He knew everyone, and he always had a new story every day,” she said.

Christian was known for carrying around a clipboard that contained every big plan he had, said Stephanie Reed, coordinator of the school’s peer tutoring program.

“He was just a bright shining light in everyone’s day,” Reed said. “He had his future so clearly planned out and it was all contained in his clipboard.”

Reed said Christian had recently started a peer mentoring program to help students with low attendance records. Christian was excited about the results the program had achieved since its inception last fall with some students attending every day of school this semester.

“I said that he was the next president, the next Mother Teresa, the next Martin Scorsese; he could have been anything and could have done anything,” Reed said. “And he helped others believe that, too, that they could do anything.”

During his freshman year, Christian was instrumental in organizing a fundraiser for an elementary school student who had been diagnosed with leukemia, said school counselor Judy Gard. “I was totally amazed at what he could do,” she said. “He always had his heart in the right place.”

On Thursday, Christian and three other students took part in a food tasting for the school’s prom at Hyatt Regency O’Hare hotel in Rosemont, said Dundee-Crown junior class adviser Sara Burnett. Christian examined carefully every dish, and proclaimed himself satisfied when he verified that the chicken Parmesan wasn’t “too saucy” and wouldn’t splash on girls’ dresses, Burnett said.

“He always paid attention to detail, and he was always pleasant,” she said.

In addition, Christian was involved in music and drama programs both at Dundee-Crown and the Christian Youth Theater Company.

Ryan Boldt, group life pastor at Willow Creek Community Church, said everything seemed normal on Thursday night.

Christian had attended the school’s performance of “Les Miserables” and finished a school paper before bed.

“It was a normal day,” Boldt said. “There was nothing unusual, he was just an outgoing, joyful kid.”

Boldt said Christian was involved in Willow Creek programs, such as the student ministries.

“His faith was very important to him, as is evidenced in the way he served people,” Boldt said.

Dundee-Crown Freshman Academy Coordinator Brian Conant, in a news release, said Christian’s death has affected many students and faculty members.

A crisis team is available to assist students or staff, Conant said.

Funeral arrangements are pending.