SOUTH WOODSTOCK, VT — Audrey Else Barr, 90, died peacefully on Friday, July 31, 2020 at the Jack Byrnes Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
Audrey was born on October 24, 1929 in Woodhaven, Queens, New York after her parents, William and Emma (Arnold) Schimsheimer, immigrated through Ellis Island, NY from Germany. Following her parents’ death, she and her brother Ray, spent part of their childhood at the Ottilie Orphan Home, while also being raised by her stepfather, Eric Abraham. She graduated from Jamaica High School in Queens, New York, claiming the coveted titles of Class Flirt and Best Smile.
Growing up in New York, when Audrey wasn’t spending time with her dear friends, Doris and Audrey, or working for the telephone company, she was riding the bus to Manhattan to catch a movie or watch the Rockettes, or grabbing a snack at the Automat. Audrey, with her eyes on fashion design, instead met her love, Stewart Barr, while on a road trip to Vermont in 1947. After a brief courtship of letter writing, several visits between NY and VT, and a proposal over a stick of spearmint gum on St. Patrick’s Day, Stewart and Audrey married on May 2, 1948.
Stewart and Audrey built their home together in South Woodstock, where they remained until their deaths. In addition to being a loving wife and raising her family, Audrey worked a number of jobs locally to help support her family, spending many years working in the Woodstock school system. She was an accomplished seamstress, making clothes for her children and grandchildren (not forgetting to include matching outfits for dolls) as well as making prom and wedding dresses, quilts, and baby blankets. Audrey loved to sing and would often sing with Stewart, the two even performing an original song on Channel 3 in Burlington in the late 1950s. She later joined Freelance Family Singers, where Stewart would watch with pride from the audience. She worked on many artistic projects, she loved documenting her story by writing her memoires, she kept in touch with her childhood friends, she never missed a Hallmark movie, and she was an avid swimmer up until the time of her death.
Audrey is survived by 3 children, Dennis Barr (Nancy), Curt Barr (Wendy), Candy Barr (Brett Hersey); 5 grandchildren, Clayton Bridge, Craig Bridge (Danielle), Abbie Pope (David), Jill Mitchell (George), and Chris Barr (Susie Chamberlin); 11 great grandchildren; 3 great-great grandchildren; a number of nieces and nephews; and many extended family throughout the United States and Germany. She was predeceased by her husband of 63 years, Stewart, her parents, her stepfather, her brother Raymond Sims, and her beloved cat Gizmo.
There will be no public services held. Those wishing to do so, may make memorial donations to: SCO Family of Services (formerly the Ottilie Orphan Home), 1 Alexander Place, Glen Cove, NY 11545 (https://sco.org/get-involved/ways-to-give/)
An online guest book can be found at cabotfh.com.