Rod and Ruth Stiling count among their
mentors both their sets of parents, married
for close to 100 years combined. Now, after
40 years at their own marriage, the younger
couple are permitted a few moments of
reflection on what makes for wedded bliss.
“Pack a sense of humor. Be gracious. Think
the best. Be spontaneous. Have lots of
adventures together.”
Many adventures followed Rod and Ruth
as newlyweds: U.S. naval deployments
to Spain. Attendance at Dallas Theological
Seminary — a four-year master’s degree
in historical theology for him, a two-year
master of arts degree in biblical studies for her.
A paid position in which Rod was a youth
director for an English-speaking church in
the Philippines. And in the last few years, several trips
to Central America to visit their two
grandchildren and daughter Rachel Stiling
Martens, Class of 2005, and her Colombian
husband. “She not only engaged the culture
of Latin America,” Rod says proudly of
Rachel, “she married into it.”
But as adventures go, perhaps none is bigger for Rod than his 12 years in the
classroom at Seattle Pacific, where the
associate professor of history regularly
opens the eyes of students to the
importance of a historical education.
“It’s part of being a good citizen,” says
the 2006 Professor of the Year and 2010 Top
Professor (SPU Chapter, Mortar Board National
Honor Society). “I get to help them
see their own life as it flows out of a
historical context, and their connection
to the larger story.”
The Stilings strongly believe in supporting SPU,
and in doing it by giving at the President’s Circle
level. Their donations provide vital scholarship
funds for students. They also believe in the
SPU Library and the importance of sound
research. They give money to keep the
library staff strong and the historically rich
academic collections vital.