Margot Ihlder

Margot died peacefully at home at 11:15 pm on October 29, 2014. She had been ill since late spring/early summer, spending much of that time in Virginia Hospital Center, Fairfax Hospital, three rehab centers, and Capital Caring Hospice in Arlington. She returned to her home in Falls Church on September 17

A native Washingtonian, Margot was born on August 5, 1942. She was the daughter of Richard Ihlder and Barbara Yelverton Ihlder and had one sister, Michelle Ihlder Minter, who predeceased her. Margot attended Western High School and Georgetown University before embarking on her career. She spent more than three decades working for the U.S. Postal Service, where she gained recognition and won awards for her outstanding work in both domestic and international marketing and advertising.

Margot was an arts enthusiast, and she particularly enjoyed the visual arts. She was an early Resident Artist at the Arlington Arts Center. When she retired from the Postal Service in 2003, she was able to more actively pursue her interest in painting, and she took great pleasure in painting in her home studio and en plein air. Her home was filled with works that she had created, as well as those of her partner of 25 years, Theodore (Ted) Jones, a photographer, filmmaker, and sculptor, who predeceased her in 2007.

She is survived by many friends who loved her dearly, and she will be remembered for her enthusiasm for life and her generosity of spirit. She will be greatly missed.