Ardiene Carol Tilly, 82, of Tryon died Thursday, Sept. 6 at Hospice House of the Carolina Foothills in Landrum.

She was born Dec. 18, 1929 in Milwaukee, Wisc., the daughter of John and Lillian Lang. She was the first in her family and one of the first in her Milwaukee community of friends and neighbors to attend college; many in the community contributed funds to help her achieve her educational goals. She graduated from Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Ill. with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics.
Ardiene married Laurence J. Tilly just after college, and they had five children. She was proud of having moved 40 times in her life, living in Stanford, Calif., Jamestown, N.D., Iowa City, Ia., Washington, D.C. and many other places before eventually settling in Aiken, S.C.
She taught math and adult education classes in Washington, D.C. and Aiken County, S.C. public schools and at the University of South Carolina at Aiken, retiring in 1992. A dedicated teacher whose interest in students went far beyond the classroom, she coached math competition teams, led a backpacking club and decorated for many proms and other special events. Even now, her children meet former students who remember her fondly.