Margaret E.T. Edeline

June 28, 1924 - Dec. 12, 2015

Dec. 17, 2015

Star Staff

Margaret E. Till Edeline, who was a young actress in London before moving to this country, died on Dec. 12 at her daughter’s house in Norfolk, Va. She was 91 and had had breast cancer, but the precise cause of death was uncertain.

Mrs. Edeline was born in Surrey, England, on June 28, 1924, the only child of Henry Charles Routledge and the former Edith Biffen. She attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, and between 1940 and 1948 had a career on the London stage, appearing in dramatic productions, many of which were by Shakespeare.

She was married Roland (Jim) H. Till just after World War II, and they moved to the United States in 1949, settling in Allendale, N.J. She then appeared in several dinner-theater productions and had a small role in “The Guiding Light,” a television series.

The couple became part-time residents of East Hampton in 1964 but Mr. Till died in a plane accident in 1970. In 1974, she married Jacques Edeline, who died in 1980. Mrs. Edeline moved to East Hampton full time that year.

Her family said she “settled into a very happy life with games of bridge and many social gatherings.” She also worked in the John Drew Theater box office at Guild Hall. She moved to Virginia Beach, Va., in 2002. Mrs. Edeline enjoyed traveling and was known to have visited more than 30 countries.

“She was a people collector and loved to tell stories about her travels and people that she met,” her daughter, Alison C. Till, said. “She was very gregarious and outgoing.”

In addition to her daughter, Mrs. Edeline is survived by five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Two sons, Russell H. Till and Colin H. Till, died before her. Her family said her body was given to medical science. She eventually will be cremated, and her ashes spread on the water.

A celebration of Mrs. Edeline’s life will be planned for a future date. Memorial donations have been suggested to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, which can be made online at giving.mskcc.org or sent to 1275 York Avenue, New York 10065.