Milton - Audrey King Towne, 89, passed peacefully at McClure Miller Respite House on Wednesday, December 18, 2019.
Audrey was born on March 8, 1930 in Fletcher, Vermont, daughter of Fred and Charlotte (Cox) King. After graduating from Milton High School in 1947, Audrey started UVM to obtain her teaching degree, but was distracted with the love of her life, Donovan C. Towne. They married on January 21, 1950 in the United Church of Milton, they were married for over 61 years until Donovan's death in October 2011. Audrey had many jobs, some paid, some unpaid throughout her adult life. She provided daycare for relatives and friends, baked cakes for birthdays, wedding, and other occasions for her loved ones as well as to make a few dollars to help support her family. The house would most always smell of freshly baked rolls and other delicious food to feed anyone who walked through the door. She loved hosting meals for her Towne and King siblings and other extended family. Her creative spirit was not only displayed in the kitchen. She had a love for painting, knitting, and the family most benefited from her quilting. Her last paying job was in the cafeteria of Milton Middle School where she developed long lasting friendships with Nancy Deforge and Eleanor Cadreact which turned into Wednesday morning quilting session after retirement in 1995 and continued through October of this year. She made quilts for each of her five children, two of her grandchildren, and all 11 of her great grandchildren. She quilted countless pillows, table runners, and wall hangings of which each family member has to warm their houses. In the summers she could be found in her flower gardens that grew in number and size throughout the years. When she wasn't in her flower gardens, she was in her vegetable and fruit garden nurturing and harvesting vegetables that would feed the family throughout the year and berries that would be turned into mouthwatering pies and precious jams. Fall would bring trips to local apple orchards to harvest the dropped apples with her grandchildren to make countless pies and batches of applesauce that could be found in the freezer all year long. Audrey's home was always open for her grandchildren whether it was a place to go after school or exciting weekend and vacation getaways.
She is survived by her daughter Bradleigh Sampson of Calgary, Alberta and her former husband Claude; son Jeffery Towne and wife Kary O'Brien Towne of Milton; daughter Gwendolyn Towne of St. Petersburg, FL.; daughter Rebecca Towne Dubois and husband Joseph of Williston; son Craig Towne of McKinney, TX; grandchildren Erica and husband Clancey Foley of Calgary, Alberta, Jason and Cherie Sampson of Nova Scotia, Kate Sampson of Nova Scotia, Anna and husband Nasir Muzaffar of Aurora, CO, Nathan Towne and wife Nancy of Saratoga, NY, Nicholas Towne and wife Sasha of South Grafton, MA, Elizabeth T. Dubois and fianc Kenley Cortez of Huntington Station, NY, Ashley T. Dubois of Williston, Lucas Towne of Burlington, and Jessep Towne of Houston, TX; great grandchildren Braden and Haleigh Foley of Alberta, Kyle and Lauren Sampson and Storm Thibault of Nova Scotia, Amman, Noorah, and Samara Muzaffar of CO, and Evan and Noah Towne of MA.
She is also survived by her brother Douglas King and his wife Norma, her brother-in-law Carroll Towne, sister-in-law Alice Sheppard, brother-in-law Neil Towne and his wife Bobbi, countless loved nieces and nephews, and dear friends Julie and Bruce Talley, Becky Dutil, and Jane Lafayette. She was predeceased by her sisters Beryle Tabor and husband Leonard and Dot Wagner and husband Ken, her brothers Foster and wife Millie, Wendell and wife Rose, Delmar and wife Madeline, Harlan, Neil and former wife Eileen, Malcom and former wife Frankie, and Bernard and former wife Lynn, her siblings-in-law Robert and wife Thelma, Laura and husband Mit, Paul and wife Augusta, Dot and husband Art, Helen and husband Glenn, Pearl and husband Clayt, Eugene and wife Arlene, Nina Hazen Towne, and Tom Sheppard.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in Audrey's memory may be made to the Alzheimer's Association of Vermont or McClure Miller Respite House. The family would like to extend their overwhelming appreciation and gratitude to the many caregivers and professionals who have supported Audrey throughout the past year and a half including niece Judy Towne Johnston, Visiting Nurses Association, Home Care Assistance, Dr. Pendlebury and staff at the Memory Care Center, Maple Ridge Memory Care, UVM Medical Center Emergency Department and Miller 6, and McClure Miller Respite House.
Visiting hours will be held on Sunday, December 29, 2019 from 1-4pm at the Minor Funeral and Cremation Center in Milton.
A Funeral Service will be held on Monday, December 30, 2019 at 10am at the United Church of Milton. Burial will be in the Milton Village Cemetery on July 31st, 2020 at 11am.