Audrey Rae (Hart) Lillibridge passed away April 8, 2022, at the age of 95, after a long period of declining health. Audrey was born the youngest of three sisters in Guthrie, Oklahoma, on Oct. 6, 1926. Growing up in Yale, Oklahoma, during the Great Depression was difficult for the Hart family, but that brought an appreciation for even the smallest things, whether that be a spare dime to go to the movies or a miracle pair of leather gloves, rescued from the side of the road for a Christmas present.
Audrey was valedictorian of her senior class of 1944 at Yale High School. While attending college at Oklahoma A&M (later Oklahoma State University), Audrey’s dark hair, love of dancing, and sweet disposition caught the attention of fellow student John Lillibridge, Jr. The two married in 1948, shortly before John was deployed to Korea. In 1954, they welcomed a son — the third John Lee Lillibridge. Audrey treated her role as an Army wife as a full-time job, helping the family integrate into each new town where they were stationed across the continental U.S., Hawaii, and Germany. Still, she never forgot her Oklahoma roots, and subscribed to the local Yale newspaper until the day she died.
After retirement, John and Audrey settled in Ocala, Florida, then moved to Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania, to be closer to their two grandchildren. Audrey’s homemaking and interior decorating skills were so impressive that realtors used her home as a show model for new construction in the neighborhood! When Audrey and John could no longer maintain their Pennsylvania home, they moved to a retirement community in Gaithersburg, Maryland, to be even closer to their only son and his family.
Audrey always loved to laugh and made friends of all ages and origins everywhere she went. She loved to dress up as a witch on Halloween to give out candy to the local children. A faithful correspondent, she always found the perfect card for birthdays and holidays, along with a special sticker for each recipient. Every year, she sent hand-written Christmas cards in gorgeous script and wrapped each present beautifully with a special tag or ribbon.
As a wife, she was a faithful and loving partner to John Jr. during their nearly 72 years of marriage. As a mother, she was the “permanent friend” to her son as they moved from place to place during John Jr.’s 30 years in the Army. As a mother-in-law, she was welcoming, gracious, and loving. As a grandmother, she was always ready to provide a piece of candy or an extra slice of bacon, and enjoyed watching her grandchildren slide down huge piles of red dirt in Boiling Springs.
Thoughtfulness and caretaking were her true calling, and continued through her last days with us. Audrey is survived by her son John Lee III, daughter-in-law Linda, granddaughter Judy, and grandson John Lee IV, as well as many cousins, nieces, and nephews. Her ashes will be interred in Dover Cemetery, beside those of her husband, in the fall of 2022.
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