Edith B. Ihlanfeldt

Edith Bell Aycock Ihlanfeldt, a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully on Monday, September 28, 2026, in Athens, Georgia, where she had lived for the past five years. She was 97.

A proud native Atlantan, Edith was born on March 1, 1929, to Ruby Barton Bell and Frederick Mitchell Bell. She grew up in Atlanta’s Virginia-Highland neighborhood and graduated from North Avenue Presbyterian School (N.A.P.S.) and Converse College, where she earned a degree in education.

After college, Edith worked at the Delta Air Lines reservation desk from 1947 to 1955 and enjoyed a vibrant social life. In later years, she recalled that the demands on her time frequently required scheduling an early date and a late date on the same evening. Her family has not independently verified this account.

In 1952, Edith was introduced–by their mothers, who were bridge club friends–to Benjamin Jackson “Ben” Aycock, a Georgia Tech graduate and Navy veteran of World War II. They married on February 19, 1954 and enjoyed a happy and loving union. Together, they raised three children and lived first in Brookhaven and later in Sandy Springs. Ben died in 1988.

In 2006 Edith married William J. “Bill” Ihlanfeldt of Houston, Texas, and inherited a second loving family. They divided their time between Houston and Atlanta until Bill’s death in 2018.

Edith was a lifelong Methodist whose deep Christian faith guided the way she lived. She sought to follow Jesus’ example by meeting the world and everyone in it with love. For more than 50 years, she was an active member of Sandy Springs United Methodist Church, where she belonged to the Joy Class and worked tirelessly as an unofficial greeter and enthusiastic recruiter of everyone who walked through the church doors.

For many years, Edith taught Christian education at the Wesleyan School, which was started as an integral part of the church’s outreach mission.

A certified Master Gardener, Edith was active in numerous civic and church organizations, including United Methodist Women,where she served as president; the National Society Colonial Dames of XVII Century; and several garden clubs. She loved to entertain and was an accomplished bridge player.

Edith was a loving, generous force of nature who touched countless lives in Atlanta, Houston, and Athens. She had a tremendous drive to help others, turning strangers into friends, and putting those friends ahead of herself. All who knew her will remember and miss her as a shining example of the best of Christian love, Southern hospitality, and a life well-lived.

Edith is survived by her children, Laura Aycock Swett and her husband, Albert L. Swett, of Rochester, New York; Coleman Barton Aycock and his wife, Cathi Cook Aycock, of Franklin, Tennessee; and Allan Jackson Aycock and his wife, Jennifer S. Cole, of Athens, Georgia. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Daniel Swett and his wife Becca Swett; Emily Swett and her husband Brian Beauvais; Cole Aycock; Claire Aycock; and R.J. Cole (Perrin Aycock); and her great-grandchildren, Asher and James Swett.

The last of her generation, Edith was preceded in death by her parents, Ted Bell and Ruby Barton Bell; her sister, Ophelia Bell Massey; her brother, Fred Bell Jr.; and her husbands, Ben Aycock and Bill Ihlanfeldt.

The family wishes to thank the staff members of Arbor Terrace and Agape Hospice in Athens for the love, kindness, and care they gave Edith. They helped make her final years comfortable and meaningful, and her family is deeply grateful.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Sandy Springs United Methodist Church via https://www.ssumc.org/contribute.

Visitation will be held at H.M. Patterson & Son-Arlington Chapel, 173 Allen Road Ne, Sandy Springs, GA 30328, US, on November 14, 2026, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm, followed by a Funeral Service at the same location on November 14, 2026, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. A Reception will follow the service.