Wayne J. Stettler, artist, designer

Wayne J. Stettler, 76, formerly of Elkins Park, a retired corporate graphic designer and artist, died of complications of Parkinson's disease Sunday, May 29, at Normandy Farms Estates, a retirement community in Blue Bell.

For more than 15 years, Mr. Stettler was design director for Smith, Kline & French, now GlaxoSmithKline, supervising packaging and trade promotion materials for products including Love cosmetics and Contac cold capsules.

In the late 1970s, Mr. Stettler established his own design studio in Philadelphia. He created packaging and sales displays for clients including Johnson & Johnson, Kiwi shoe care products, Scott Paper Co., and Weaver Chicken. He retired in the late 1990s.

In 1966, he won an award in an international typeface competition, and in 1983 he was selected to travel to Beijing with the Package Design Council's Good Will Tour. He was a member of the Philadelphia Art Directors' Club and designed promotional graphics for one of the club's annual shows.

Mr. Stettler was also an artist, specializing in trompe l'oeil paintings. His work was featured in the brain exhibit at the Franklin Institute in 1992. His spilled milk, scattered crayons, and toy airplanes looked real but were actually painted on tabletops, said his sister Marlene Kiick.

His trompe l'oeil table settings were exhibited at a food-theme art show at Gross McCleaf Gallery in Philadelphia in 1988. His work was also exhibited at the Gallery of Applied Arts in New York; Art Expo, New York; the Sterling Gallery, La Jolla, Calif.; and the Philadelphia Art Show.

An Allentown native, Mr. Stettler majored in advertising art at the Philadelphia College of Art, now part of the University of the Arts.

After graduating in 1956, he served in the Army for two years and, while stationed in Alexandria, Va., designed exhibits and the U.S. Army Information Digest.

He had a passion for flying his Libelle classic glider and flew in sailplane competitions, a son Neil said.

In addition to his son and sister, Mr. Stettler is survived by son Mark; stepchildren Valerie and Stephanie; three grandchildren; and former wives Eleanora Stettler and Joan Stettler.

A gathering of remembrance will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 8, at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 102 N. Hellertown Ave., Quakertown.

Donations may be made to the Parkinson Council, 111 Presidential Blvd., Suite 250, Bala Cynwyd, Pa. 19004.