Wauconda Township Trustee Steven Stiller dies following accident at home
Steven Stiller, a Wauconda Township trustee and former Island Lake board member, is being remembered as a dedicated public servant and generous community volunteer.
Stiller, 65, of Island Lake, died Sunday at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital near Barrington following an accident at his home.
Stiller had been on the township board since 2017. But his political career dates back four decades.
He held office in Island Lake four separate times between 1987 and 2013, most recently for about a year when he was appointed to fill a vacancy. He had served on Island Lake's zoning board, too.
Village Clerk Georgine Cooper served as trustee alongside Stiller. She described him as a dedicated public servant with a great sense of humor.
"When discussions would get a bit heated and the mayor would poll the trustees, Steve would say, 'I feel strongly both ways,' and it would lighten the mood," Cooper recalled.
Stiller's community service extended beyond local politics. A woodworking enthusiast, Stiller built planters, cornhole platforms and other objects that would be painted for Wauconda's annual Art on Main show and then sold at auction.
He also was a member of several community groups and a local volunteer. He supported the Lions Club, the Jaycees, the Wauconda Band Boosters, Wauconda's annual Turkey Trot and many other groups and events.
"Steve was an amazing volunteer and friend," former Wauconda Trustee Linda Starkey said in an online tribute to Stiller. "His volunteer contributions helped make the Wauconda Turkey Trot, Bunny Hop and many other events possible."
Wauconda Trustee Tim Howe said Stiller touched many lives "and made a wonderfully powerful impact on his community."
Stiller's survivors include his wife, Karen, two children, a brother and a sister.
Visitation is scheduled to run from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Kisselburg-Wauconda Funeral Home, 235 N. Main St., and again from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday at St. John Lutheran Church, 405 W. State Road, Island Lake. A funeral will follow at the church. Interment will be private.
Instead of flowers, memorials can be sent to Main Street Attraction, care of Village of Wauconda, 101 N. Main St., Wauconda, IL, 60084.