Strafford, Vermont — In the early hours of November 26, 2015, Thanksgiving Day, we lost our most beautiful and precious love of our lives -- sister, mother and friend to us all -- Beatrice Edler. Beatrice passed away peacefully at the age of 87 at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, surrounded by her daughter, Leslie Tilles, and four of her grandchildren: Fiona, Samuel, Emeline and Micah; along with friends of the family, Leon Rogers and Dan Bingham.

Beatrice was born on August 5, 1927 in Guayaquil, Ecuador. She was the second of six children to Enrique Medina and Maria Carreno Medina. She grew up there and received her education, primarily in the cities of Guayaquil and the capital of Ecuador, Quito, since her mother was owner and the principal of several schools throughout Ecuador. After high school in 1948, she made what would become a most, fateful trip and visit to the United States, landing her in New York City, and stayed, paving the way for her ill mother with hypertension to later come to the U.S. to receive the only treatment they had at the time for it; and several of her family members.

It was there at roller rink in the borough of Queens, NY, with a group of mutual friends, that she met her soon-to-be-husband, Alfred Edler. It was love at first sight for the diminutive, dark-haired, dark-eyed beauty and the blond, blue eyed, young man with the handsome, good looks, commencing a long and enduring romance with each other that would last for the next, 63-years until the death of her beloved husband in June of 2014. They were married on July 21, 1951, of which from this union resulted, two children, Gary and Leslie. Together they created an amazingly, cohesive team, based on mutual love, affection, devotion and respect for each other. This bond held them together through the thick and thin times of their marriage.

In 1955 they purchased their first home in Huntington Station, NY, out on Long Island. Beatrice maintained an immaculately, tasteful and beautifully appointed/decorated and efficiently-ran home for her family. Among the most memorable, fond memories of this era, were the innumerable parties they hosted over the years in the downstairs rec room of their home which they had built together. They and their many friends enjoyed these parties immensely, often dancing late into the night. They would remain in that home for the next 12 years.

Beatrice's foremost role was as a stay-at-home mom, as most women of her day were, focusing on raising her children and homemaking. All through her life, she encouraged and supported her children. From Little League to Boy/Girl Scouts to swimming lessons and swimming teams to piano lessons to ballet, gymnastic, sewing and painting classes to many, more activities in which she engaged her children. She was always there for them. One of her mantras to inspire her children to succeed was "There is no worse mission then the one you don't attempt."

In September of 1967, the family left Huntington Station and moved to Florida, eventually settling in Coral Gables (home to the University of Miami). Initially, Beatrice had been reluctant to leave the New York area, her home of the previous, 18 years, as she left behind so many friends and fond memories of and with them. But, in time, she made a new friends and made new memories in Florida.

Throughout their marriage, Beatrice had a number of roles in which she worked side-by-side with her husband, as homemaker, bookkeeper to and partner in the business they created together, Edler Studios. She was a talented artist and oil painter herself and active in many intellectual, cultural and philanthropic activities. For a number of years, she was president of both her book club and "La Agrupacion Ecuatoriana de Miami", which the latter, among its accomplishments, raised funds to support cultural-artistic exchanges, predominantly, indigenous, dancing-musical groups from Ecuador to the U.S., and to buy needed goods to send to the poor in Ecuador, in one instance, particularly, the "fish people", whose rare, genetic disorder caused them to be the victims of ostracism and discrimination. Thanks to her well-known creative and artistic gifts, she was hired by the Ecuadorian government to design and decorate the interior of the Ecuadorian consulate in Miami.

Beatrice was an amazingly, dynamic woman with an indomitable spirit, a combination of unflagging optimism, undaunted determination, a 'can do'/'get it done' ethic and seemingly, boundless energy. She was extroverted and social, loving, generous and loyal. A devoted and consummate daughter, sister, wife, mother – simply the very, best one could ever have – grandmother and friend to us. It's truly amazing how one person could touch so many lives.

She is survived by her two children: Leslie, her son, Gary, six grandchildren: Stephanie, Eric, Fiona, Samuel, Emeline, and Micah; her brother, William Medina, her sister Carol Mauz, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Her parents, sisters: Susanna Stanley and Henrietta Barragan; and her brother, Enrique Medina Jr, have preceded her in death.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10:30AM on Saturday, December 5, 2015 at St. Denis Church in Hanover, NH. A springtime committal service will be held at a later date next year at the Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Randolph Center, VT.

Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Foundation of America or any research institute looking for a cure for Alzheimer's disease.