The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Audrey Ann Menendez (nee Sefershayan), age 91, died of natural causes (from a stroke) at RWJ Hospital on April 14.
Born on August 11, 1934 to the late Margaret and Edward Sefershayan, Audrey was raised in Bay Ridge Brooklyn along with her late brother Edward. She attended St. Joseph’s High School and later became a legal secretary where she excelled for decades until her retirement.
Audrey always had a smile on her face, she liked everyone, and was there for whomever needed her. She loved traveling around the world, reading, sewing, chatting with friends, going to parties or just sitting down with a good cup of coffee.
Audrey was a devout Catholic her entire life and was very involved with her church community at St. Matthias Church in Somerset. She was a Eucharistic minister, a member of the Rosary Altar Society, helped with Sunday collections and volunteered at church events for many years.
Audrey was a devoted daughter, sister, and friend, but her main devotion – and the main purpose and driver in her life – was helping her (late) disabled daughter Margaret succeed in life. Margaret was born with spina bifida. And while this brought many hardships and challenges, she and Audrey never allowed her disability to hold her back. It is a testament to Audrey’s love, perseverance and positive outlook that Margaret was able to live a mostly independent life. They traveled all over – to Disneyworld, the Caribbean, and on cruises, and were very close all of their lives. They are together now in heaven, most likely talking up a storm and planning their next trip!
She is also predeceased by her late husband Edward Menendez.
A memorial mass will be held at a later date at St. Matthias Church, followed by a burial of cremated remains at Cedar Grove Cemetery in Somerset, and a repast lunch at her favorite restaurant, Confectionately Yours.
We will miss Audrey’s wonderful gift of gab, her easy laugh, and her caring, upbeat nature. She was a faithful friend and a loving family member, and is survived by a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins.
“Always pray to have eyes that see the best in people. A heart that forgives the worst. A mind that forgets the bad. And a soul that never loses faith in God”.
