Orlando K. “Lon” Tilley was born on October 26, 1936 in Charleston, SC. A few months later the family moved to Jersey City, NJ and then on to Orange, NJ. At approximately age 6, his birth mother, Mary Ryan Tilley, died at a very young age and his father, Louis N. Tilley joined the U.S. Air Force shortly thereafter to become a bomber pilot in WWI. His unmarried sister, Louise took care of raising Lon and his two brothers, Fred and David, during the war. Louis returned from the war in 1945 with a new bride, Madeleine Plancon Tilley, whom he met and married in Paris, France. About a year later, a daughter, Michele Tilley, was born. Madeleine also adopted Lon and his 2 bothers and they were very blessed to have her as their “special mom”.
In 1948, the family moved from New Jersey to New Orleans, LA where Louis started a new marine towing business. Lon attended various grammar schools; Warren Easton High School; and Tulane University where in 1959 he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Just prior to his senior year at Tulane University, Lon married Johnnie Mae Eads. One son, Scott K. Tilley, was born of this marriage. Shortly thereafter, the marriage ended in divorce.
Upon graduating from Tulane University, Lon worked for approximately 7 months as an engineer for the U.S. Corps of Engineers in New Orleans. Next, he was hired as an engineer at Avondale Shipyards, Inc., which was located just west of New Orleans on the left bank of the Mississippi River. He was employed at Avondale for 37 ½ years and retired in 1996 at the age of 59 ½. During his employment, he rose to the level of engineering supervisor. He eventually had responsibility for the design and layout of all piping and mechanical systems aboard a variety of commercial and military ships, as well as self-propelled deep-sea oil drilling rigs and U.S. Coast Guard Cutters.
Lon was privileged to travel on shipyard business to many parts of the U.S.; Western Europe; and Japan. In the last years of his career, he helped convert the engineering department from the outdated manual drafting techniques to the modern computer 2d drafting and design technologies.
Several years after his first divorce, he got married to Sally V. Davis. He adopted her young son, James M. Davis and changed his name to James M. Tilley. After 24 years, this marriage also ended in divorce.
In 1988, Lon met Linda V. Hymel and fell in love. They met at City Park Tennis Center in New Orleans while playing mixed doubles tennis with the Doubles for Singles group. They became an “item”, then lovers, then “significant others” and spent the following years enjoying retirement. Linda retired one year after Lon.
Spending time at the beach in Destin, FL and traveling on vacation was a large part of their life. Visiting Hawaii, Mexico, Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands, The Bahamas, many of the National Parks in the U.S.; the Oregon, California and Maine coastlines; and one trip to Europe were wonderful experiences.
The also experienced the joy of several grandchildren’s arrival between them, as well as the ever pleasant joy of playing tennis. However, the most exceptional experience happened when the visited the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on their European trip.
While standing at the main alter in the Basilica, directly above where St. Peter is buried, Linda received a “calling” from God that she should join the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Although she was already a devote Christian, she still was not comfortable being a Protestant. She was converted wanting to be a Catholic at the moment.
Shortly after their return from that trip, she enrolled in and completed the RCIA program at St. Catherine of Sienna Church in old Metairie, LA. Then she was accepted, baptized, and confirmed into the church. She found the missing part of her Christian faith. Lon felt that to have played a small part in this extraordinary happening was truly his greatest accomplishment.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and turned Lon and Linda’s life upside down. Having lost both their houses to the storm, the moved to Tampa, FL and eventually took up residence in a condo on a golf course that her brother owned and had renovated. Lon bought the condo, Linda decorated it, and they settled in for the Florida lifestyle. However, it was not to be. Stress from the hurricane, stress from the move to Tampa, stress from the several serious medical issues, stress from condo living with a horrible young neighbor from hell who harassed them for 18 months, stress from the other family issues on both sides, as well as stress from Lon and Linda now trying to learn to live together for the first time in their long relationship all came together to overwhelm them. Approximately 7 years of trying to handle their new life in Tampa resulted in Linda returning to old Metairie and buying an old, but nicely renovated, house in a lovely, safe, and convenient neighborhood.
Lon stayed in Tampa to be closer to his 91 year old mother who was living alone in a condo in Cape Coral, FL. Lon’s 96 year old father died in May 2012.
Lon is survived by his two sons, James Tilley (Hye Sim) and Scott Tilley; a younger sister, Michele Fry; a younger brother, David J. Tilley; several grandchildren; and his best friend and loving “significant other”, Linda V. Hymel.
Private services were held. The family invites you to share your thoughts, fond memories, and condolences online at www.lakelawnmetairie.com.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18