Ardiene loved family get-togethers, especially when they involved water, boats and/or camping. She instilled in her children and students an appreciation of the outdoors and a love of adventure. She once spent an entire summer tent camping all along the coast from South Carolina to the Florida Keys and back, alone with five young children, an experience her children remember as one of the best in their lives.
Ardiene moved to the Tryon area in 1999. She was active in the Polk County Democratic Party and volunteered with Meals on Wheels.
She is survived by three daughters, Diane T. Davidson (John) of Duluth, Minn. and St. Louis, Mo., Barbara Tilly of Tryon and Carol T. Hand (Dr. Gregory) of Columbia, S.C.; two sons, David Tilly (Amy) of Spruce Pine, N.C. and Randy Tilly of Hilton Head, S.C.; eight grandchildren, Linnie D. Dean (William) of St. Louis, Mo., Anne Davidson of Chicago, Ill., Tradd Davidson of Manchester, N.H., Malia Ferguson of Marietta, Ga., Jamie Ferguson of Los Angeles, Calif., Kyle Tilly (Laura) of Gastonia, N.C. and Alyssa Tilly and Anya Tilly, both of Spruce Pine, N.C. She is also survived by four great-grandchildren, Savannah Jean, Harper Anne, Zoe Marie and Faolin James, and numerous nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by a sister, Audrey Betty Lang Gaffrey Bullock.
The family thanks the staff at White Oak Manor – Tryon for their years of compassionate care and also expresses its gratitude to the staff at Hospice of the Carolina Foothills.
A Celebration of Life Drop-In will be held Saturday, Sept. 8 from 2-4 p.m. in the Great Room at FENCE. For driving directions, visit www.fence.org. A family memorial service will be held the weekend of Oct. 13-14 on Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Memorials may be made to the Hospice of the Carolina Foothills, P.O. Box 127, Landrum, S.C. 29356 or online at www.hocf.net or to the Foothills Music Club scholarship fund, P.O. Box 463, Lynn, N.C. 28750.
Please share memories and condolences at the on-line guest register at www.mcfarlandfuneralchapel.com.
McFarland Funeral Chapel, Tryon.