Elizabeth Ann (King) Tilley

Elizabeth Ann (King) Tilley, known to most as "Libby", age 91, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, died on February 7.

Libby was born in Cape Fare, Missouri, April 14, 1933. She graduated high school at the School of the Ozarks in Branson, Missouri, and attended Austin College in Texas and the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh, Scotland. She married James Tilley in 1956, and they had two children, Jim and Yvonne. The family moved to Albuquerque in 1962. Mrs. Tilley found employment in the English Department at Manzano High School two weeks later.

Libby was a lifelong educator and advocate for students, spending over 40 years at Manzano as a teacher, Activities Director, student council sponsor, and yearbook sponsor. She was instrumental in the growth of the New Mexico Association of Student Councils and is a member of the New Mexico Activities Association Hall of Fame. Through her work with State Student Council and lifelong commitment to student activities, she was a familiar face in the Albuquerque and Rio Rancho Public School systems and many schools around New Mexico. She served on the New Mexico Activities Association Board and the board of the National Association of Student Councils. She brought the NASC Conference to Albuquerque in 1988.

Mom retired from the Activities Director and yearbook sponsor positions to help raise her grandchildren, but spent an additional dozen years as Executive Director of NMASC. She found her favorite role as a grandmother and spent as much time as possible with her three grandchildren, all of whom were fortunate to live in Albuquerque with her. She was firm and believed in accountability, but also believed in having fun in life, and her grandchildren benefited from her years of experience with youth activities, her belief in integrity, her work ethic, and her commitment to responsibility. Most importantly, they inherited her sense of humor.

She is survived by her daughter, Yvonne and son, Jim and his wife Trish, all of Albuquerque; grandchildren Alyx Tilley (husband, Joel Hartenburger) of Washington, DC, Eric Tilley (wife, Kelly) of Denver and Geordan Tilley (partner, Nick Hagar) of Chicago; two great-grandchildren; brother, George King of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. Mrs. Tilley was preceded in death by her husband of 37 years, James B. Tilley, who passed in 1993.

She will be cremated and interred with her husband in the National Cemetery in Santa Fe.

An announcement regarding a memorial reception will be in the Journal and available on this website on April 27th.

In lieu of flowers please make a Donation in honor of Libby to 

College of the Ozarks (Mom's High School - Formerly, School of the Ozarks

Online giving: https://www.cofo.edu/Donate

Mail: P.O. Box 17, Point Lookout, MO 65726

Phone: 1.800.222.0525