Eben Tilly

TILLY, Jr., Eben Fletcher

Eben Fletcher Tilly, Jr. died on December 2, 2024 in Boulder, CO.

Eben was born and raised in Atlanta, GA, the only child of Eben Fletcher Tilly, Sr. and Elizabeth (Snow) Tilly. In high school he was active in sports, lettering for three years in football, basketball and track and playing in the Georgia All-Star basketball game. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1952 and was commissioned in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He served two years in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations during the Korean War. This experience and a summer backpacking through Europe led to a 40-year career in foreign travel.

In 1963, he married Nancy McFadden, and settled in Chicago as Coordinator of Group Travel for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. In 1972 he and Nancy and infant son, Jeb moved to Chapel Hill. Eben founded Eben Tilly Associates, which specialized in group travel to Europe from 20 states. Eben and Nancy lived for 41 years in Chapel Hill before moving to Boulder in 2013 to be near Jeb and his wife, Ash (Davis), and to joyfully greet the arrival of their two sons, Woods and Laz.

Eben was the Frasier Retirement Center's movie guru, and for seven years chose three movies a week for Frasier's TV channel, until the pandemic. A talented if sporadic artist, his intricate boat models enliven Frasier's Garden level. He sculpted a support post for the family's Sugarloaf cabin. And he did a striking acrylic painting of the family's Chapel Hill house. He enjoyed studying Boulder history. A devoted husband, father and grandfather, he will be sorely missed.

Eben is survived by Nancy, Jeb and Ash; and grandsons, Woods Lawson and Lazarus Averitt.