BIDDEFORD — Audrey Shutt, 81, passed away Monday, March 10, 2014 at Southridge Rehabilitation & Living Center in Biddeford, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Born Nov. 22, 1932 in Springfield, Mass., she was the daughter of Frederick and Ruth Pelletier.

At an early age, her mother died, and she moved to Saco, where she was raised by family.

She graduated from Thornton Academy in 1950. She was a proud alumni and worked on several class reunion committees.

She spent 17 years in Watertown, Mass., where she raised her children. During that time, she worked for Mount Auburn Hospital as an operating room secretary.

She returned to Maine in 1978 and later became employed by Southern Maine Medical Center, where she worked the switchboard. Known for her lightning-fast short-hand and typing skills, she went on to be an administrative assistant at Maine Energy Recovery Company for many years before retiring. She loved her co-workers in the MERC plant and called them “her guys.” Genuinely interested in people, she was on a first name basis with their spouses and knew all their children’s names.

Audrey loved to travel, especially to cruise. She explored exotic ports including Panama, Cozumel ”¦ She enjoyed collecting recipes and cooking, but her favorite pastime was spending time with her children and grandchildren; they were her pride and joy. Audrey was an incredibly loving and devoted single mother who worked tirelessly and gave endlessly of herself.

She attended Eastpoint Christian Church in Portland, where she and her son, Torin, volunteered as greeters on occasion.

Audrey is survived by: her children, Sue McKay and husband Tom of Bar Harbor, Barbara Vieira and husband Joe of Providence, R.I., Tami Hardy and husband John of Saco, Domenic Simonetti of Austin, Texas, Torin Simonetti of Biddeford and Tracy Donatelli and husband David of Fort Mill, S.C.; 17 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Audrey had a smile that lit up a room, and a remarkable gift of making everyone she met feel special. The legacy she leaves behind is surely love.

A celebration of life will be held at Eastpoint Christian Church in June. Further details of this ceremony will be announced closer to the date.

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