Audrey Tilley

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Audrey Arlene (Davis) Tilley
August 11, 1938 - May 07, 2012

Audrey was born to Paul and Marie Davis on August 11, 1938 in Endicott, New York. She was one of nine children. Audrey is survived by her brother Charles Davis of Mims, Florida, and a sister Nancy Davis of Endicott, New York. As a child, Audrey loved spending time with her aunt and uncle on their farm. She had described herself as liking to be alone much of her childhood and being with her aunt and uncle, who had no children, was comforting to her. As a teenager, Audrey became somewhat of a rebel, which did not impress her parents; she was sent to live with her sister Shirley in California in hopes that her wayward spirit could be curbed. From California, she traveled to Washington State with a couple for whom she worked as their babysitter. This is where she met Ethel Tilley, who introduced Audrey to her soon-to-be husband, Frank Tilley. 

Frank and Audrey were married in Pierce County on May 4, 1957. On December 1 of that same year, they welcomed their first child, Karen. Karen preceded her mother in death on May 22, 2002. Frank and Audrey went on to have seven children together: Karen Hoyt Clardy, Wayne Tilley (Olympia), Denice Tilley (Juneau, Alaska), Paula (Tilley) Tyynismaa (Olympia), John (Tilley) Osbakken (Sitka, Alaska), Frank Tilley (Tumwater) and Natalee Tilley-Embry (Olympia). All told, Frank Tilley had 13 children. Audrey became a stepparent at the age of 19 to six children from Frank’s first marriage; her oldest stepdaughter was just a few years younger than she was! Audrey was a stay-at-home mom while Frank was a disabled logger. The two spent each day together raising their children, with Audrey doing the majority of the child rearing. Even though Audrey and Frank were considered poor, it never stopped Audrey from finding creative ways to entertain her children. Her daughter Denice has described her mother as being one of the most creative people she has ever known. She could take literally anything lying around and turn it into either a toy or a game. Audrey also loved nature and would take her children outdoors frequently so that they could enjoy the fresh air and be among the flora and fauna. The whole family would enjoy the many trips to the "river" together. 

On August 13, 1997, Frank passed away at home, while Audrey held his hand. Theirs was not a typical love affair but they truly were in love in their own way. 

Audrey had eight grandchildren, whom she enjoyed and loved very much. Children always had a special place in Audrey's heart. She did daycare for several family members; children enjoyed spending time with her. You could always trust Audrey to take good care of the children, and the best part is she always let them just be kids and have fun and be creative. She will be remembered by many of her grandchildren and other daycare kids as the best mud pie maker that ever lived. Her granddaughter Missy recalls that grandma's mud pies were always perfect in shape, something Missy could never master. Audrey was also blessed to have shared her birthday with her grandson Michael, something she was very proud of even if she never made it known to many. 

If you spent any time with Audrey, you will know she had a quick wit and a great sense of humor, although she did have a touch of the "Irish" temper and, when she meant business, you knew it. She was a solid person, and was at times very stubborn. Once she made her mind up about something, there was no changing her mind or opinion on the matter. Even though Audrey never went on to receive a formal education, she was a wealth of information, due to the many books she had read. She could be counted on to provide the answer to very obscure questions. 

Audrey's closest friends were her sisters-in-law, Violet Townsend and Bernadine Costello, and her niece, Lorraine Stevens. She enjoyed her many outings with her sisters-in-law and, later in life, they and Lorraine were almost inseparable. She apparently had such a good time with Violet and Bernadine that her husband Frank would get jealous. Lorraine became Audrey's closest companion later in life as they both lived in the same mobile home community. They would spend every afternoon/evening together at Lorraine's watching Jeopardy, and usually both falling asleep in their chairs. Audrey was fortunate to have met Duane "Shorty" Esget, who also lived in the same community. The two traveled together on numerous occasions. Her most cherished trip was going to Europe and seeing all the places that she had only read about or seen in the movies. But her all time most favorite place to travel to was Hawaii, which they had made several trips to, and thankfully Shorty loved to take pictures so the family will always be able to see her smiling and enjoying her travels. 

Audrey had many interests but she loved reading above all else, sometimes reading two books a week or more! Her other passion was gardening, mostly the indoor kind. She had a natural green thumb and could literally take what looked like an ordinary piece of wood, stick it in some water, and it would grow into a beautiful plant. Her last bunch of indoor plants was orchids, and they are beautiful. One talent of Audrey's that not a lot of people know about is that she was a gifted artist. Her painting ability was amazing. She loved to do craft projects and do all the painting. Her daughter Natalee will treasure the pieces she has that her mother did. 

Audrey came to live with her daughter Natalee in 2006, and the two became daily companions. Natalee cared for her mother all the way to the end of her life. Natalee will miss her most in the mornings because they always shared their coffee and listened to KGY before starting their day. 

Sadly, we lost Audrey on May 7, 2012, after a short battle with an undiagnosed illness. She died at her home, which she shared with her daughter Natalee and son-in-law Todd Sotak, surrounded by her family. She passed away quietly in the early morning hours while holding her son Frank’s hand. She was loved by everyone who ever knew her and will be greatly missed. 

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Audrey "Davis" Arlene Tilley

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Audrey Davis Tilley Obituary | Altogether

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Audrey "Davis" Arlene Tilley

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