Stillman DePauw Knight, Jr.

Stillman DePauw Knight Jr., 74, of Orange Beach, Al., died on Oct. 11, 2021, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather who was loving and generous to his family and many friends.

He loved traveling the world with his wife, Dr. Mary A. Knight, and found adventure in fishing, hunting, boating, crabbing and spending time at the beach with his family. He showered love on his grandchildren, whose special name for him was “Fathie.”

Stillman was a skilled businessman and former federal government official with a passion for real estate and building.

He was a member of Holy Spirit Episcopal Church in Gulf Shores, where he was ordained as a Cursillo. He belonged to and was a leader in the national, state and local chapters of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). He also was a member of the Knights of Ecor Rouge. He received his captain’s license from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2020, a significant accomplishment.

He is survived by his wife and life partner Mary, an Orange Beach resident; his children Stillman D. Knight III of Mobile and Liles Knight (Ben) Johnson of Carrollton, Ga.; and six grandchildren: Blakelee Isbill, Olivia Grace Isbill, Hugh Johnson, Mary Lyon, Jeremy Lyon and Tyler Lyon.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 16, at Holy Spirit Church, 616 W. Fort Morgan Rd. in Gulf Shores. Interment at 1 p.m. at Montrose Cemetery.

Stillman was preceded in death by his parents, Stillman and Woodie Knight Sr., and a grandson, Tucker Isbill.

He was born in Mobile on Feb. 22, 1947, and studied at Vanderbilt University, the University of South Alabama and the University of Alabama School of Law. He held a bachelor of arts degree from the University of South Alabama.

Like his father, Stillman was destined for a career in real estate. In 1988, he joined Aronov Realty Company Inc., where he led all multifamily activities. He founded The Knight Company in 1991 and was its president and CEO. From 2003-2005, he was deputy assistant secretary for Multifamily Housing Programs in the Office of Housing/Federal Housing Administration (FHA) at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in Washington, D.C. He was appointed to the position by former President George W. Bush and was responsible for a staff of more than 1,800 people and the overall management, direction and administration of many federal programs.

After his government service, he was executive vice president of NHP Foundation, a nationwide provider of affordable housing. Among many awards, he was recognized as builder developer of the year by the NAHB’s National Council of the Multifamily Housing Industry in 1986 and served as the group’s national chairman in 1989. In 2004, he was awarded the Robert J. Corletta Award for achievement in Affordable Housing.

His career was capped by his role as vice president of FHA origination at Indiana-based Sterling Development.

Stillman had a big extended family and a wide circle of friends. He could always be counted on for wise advice and unquestioning loyalty. He was an avid reader of history and had an appetite for good music, outdoor activities and was always ready for fun and thoughtful conversation.

His departure leaves a chasm in the lives of the many people who cared about him. His legacy of love, compassion, dignity and accomplishment will live on forever.

In lieu of flowers, we would like to direct people to make a donation to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, in memory of Stillman.