Eleanor Tilden Gardner

Eleanor "Ellie" Whittier Tilden Gardner, a fourth generation San Franciscan and a cherished member of the Portola Valley community, died on March 14, 2026, at the age of ninety. Born in San Francisco to Heber Voorman Tilden and Eleanor Whittier Weir Tilden, she grew up in Woodside, where she developed her lifelong love of horses, the outdoors, and painting. Ellie attended Sacred Heart Schools and Castilleja before graduating from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

After college, she returned to the Bay Area, where she met William John ("John") Gardner. They married at Stanford Memorial Church and eventually settled in Portola Valley, where they raised their three children.

A gifted artist and devoted teacher, Ellie taught painting to adults and children for more than 60 years. She was an active member of the Woodside–Atherton Garden Club for 45 years and shared her talents widely as Flower Coordinator at Christ Episcopal Church, leader of the Woodside Art Show, and Chair of the Portola Valley Cultural Arts Committee. For the past 16 years, she enriched life at The Sequoias with monthly art exhibits, art classes, and floral arrangements.

Ellie is survived by her children Scott (Ann Marie), Mark, and Lynn (Randy), and her grandchildren Wesley, William, John, and Samantha. She is preceded in death by her husband, John, and her brother Heber.

In remembrance of Ellie, the family kindly requests donations be made in her name to Christ Church Portola Valley & Woodside, 815 Portola Road, Portola Valley, CA 94028. A private family service was held.