In loving memory of
Audrey Laird

• August 01, 1946
• -
• September 29, 2023

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Audrey Laird, 77, of Longwood, Florida, went to be with her beloved Jesus after passing away peacefully at home with her loving husband and faithful caregiver, Jim, at her side on September 29, 2023, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. Audrey was born in 1946 to Robert and Effie in Charleston. She graduated from Dixon High School in 1964, where she starred as an all-county basketball player, served as treasurer of her class, and was honored as homecoming queen her senior year. In 1965, while visiting family in New York, she met George James Laird (Jim). Audrey and Jim’s long-distance letter writing relationship bloomed into a deep love and they were married on New Year’s Eve 1967 at Carroll Chapel Methodist Church in Snead’s Ferry, North Carolina. She worked as a switchboard operator for telephone companies in Jacksonville, Wilmington, and Raleigh, NC, and for an insurance company in Charleston, SC, while Jim completed his college degree.

Later, she was a nursery school teacher for a short time in East Setauket, NY and then a few years after that, she joined Jim as the office manager in the executive recruiting business they owned for 12 years in Central Florida. Being a homemaker was her longest “job”, which she loved and did wholeheartedly. Audrey and Jim have three children, Bryan, who married Christine Werner and Lisa, who married Bob Smith. Together they endured the loss of their third child, Robert James, who died before birth. They went on to become grandparents to Julianne and Katrina. The last time Audrey and all the family were together was for the 2022 wedding of Julianne to Jonathan Wright. The one thing you need to know about Audrey is that she placed Jesus Christ above all else in her life. She loved her daily quiet times and the many Bible studies she participated in over the years. She actively served at church in a variety of ways, teaching Sunday School and VBS, singing, playing piano, leading women’s groups, etc. She edited church newsletters and most everything Jim wrote, and proofread published books authored by people she knew. She also volunteered in the community, teaching literacy to adults and reading with elementary school children. She was a prolific journal writer and many of her daily entries testify to her love and trust in Jesus through all the ups and downs of life. The primary Bible she used over the years has grown soft and worn from all her reading, and is heavily highlighted with hand-written notes in the margins. She had many favorite verses, but the one that she seemed to cling to the most was Revelation 3:8. “I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” The Lord gave her this verse during a time when she felt very low and felt like God had left her, and it bolstered her and encouraged her so much.

With Jim, Audrey got to travel to many different places throughout her life. She went to Ireland, Egypt, Mexico, Canada, Caribbean Islands and lots of places in the United States from cities to mountains and beaches for family vacations, visiting with friends and extended family, or just exploring new places and spending time with Jim. One of Audrey’s favorite things to do was to welcome people into her home. Her gift of hospitality is what most people remember about her. There were many dinners with friends and family, game nights, college lock-ins, New Year’s Eve drop-ins, hosting international guests, Bible studies, wedding and baby showers, etc. From the appetizers to desserts, her cooking was praised, her baking was loved, and she always went the extra mile to make sure someone who visited her home felt special. Audrey did many types of arts and crafts through the years, including cross-stitch, sewing, knitting, and crochet, often making things for her home, as well as family and friends. Phototaking was probably her most favorite thing to do. She wasn’t artistic about it, but just wanted to have photos of all her friends and family, and all of her adventures. Her heart was in the details, which is why she loved photos so much and enjoyed looking back at them to relive special times. She hated to miss someone telling a story, and would always ask for a story to be retold if she had been out of the room. People were so important to Audrey, which is clear from the many cards and letters she kept over the years. She just couldn’t bear to part with them. Audrey fiercely loved her Lord Jesus, her Jim, her children and family, and her friends. As her family, we want to thank you for your prayers and the many ways you’ve expressed to us how much you loved her. She loved you too, and so do we.

A celebration of life will be held at Northland Church in Longwood, FL on November 11, 2023 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center (https://adrccares.org), the organization that was essential to Jim as he cared for Audrey