STRAFFORD, VT — Leslie Ann Tilles, a long-time resident of Strafford, Vermont, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, May 25, 2020 after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke. She passed peacefully, surrounded by family and friends.
She is survived by her four children, Fiona, Emeline, Samuel, and Micah; her brother and sister-in-law, Gary and Norma Edler; niece and nephew, Stephanie and Eric; uncles, William Medina and Adolph Edler; her dear cousin, Lynne; and countless other loved cousins, both in the United States and in Ecuador.
As remembered by a friend, Leslie was the portrait of life. Born in Huntington Station, New York on December 22, 1957, she spent her adolescent years in Coral Gables, Florida. The daughter of Alfred Edler, a respected photo-retoucher from New York, and Beatrice Edler (nee Beatriz Medina), an Ecuadorian immigrant, Leslie and her elder brother Gary grew up in a lively, artistic, and multicultural household. As a teenager, Leslie spent a year in Ecuador visiting family; a time that she would nostalgically describe later in life as a profound experience, where she discovered a magical land evocative of the prose of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and the mysticism of Hermann Hesse. As a young adult, Leslie set out on several more adventures that would take her to the vibrant city of Geneva, the parks of Paris, the Austrian Alps, the colonial streets of Georgetown, Guyana, and the banks of the Ubangi River in Central Africa. Along the way she would fall in love and make numerous lifelong friends.
Her childhood and these rich experiences informed a love of art, music, and nature, as well as a personal philosophy of tolerance, equality, free expression, and adventure. Settling in Strafford, Vermont in 1995 – a place she would call home for the last 25 years of her life – Leslie focused much of her energy and love toward her four beloved children, who remained the light of her life until her tragic death. As a mother and community member, she is remembered for her engagement, determination, and strong spirit. A mark of her entire life, Leslie gave special meaning to things. The universe and its elusive meanings and symbols – represented best by the breathtaking images of the Hubble Telescope – always captured her imagination and guided her spirituality. We know it is in that universe that she now resides – a star that shines as bright as she did in life.
A celebration of Leslie’s life will be held in Strafford at a later date. All will be welcome. An online guestbook is available to leave a message of condolence for Leslie’s family by visiting www.rickerfuneralhoem.com