On January 10, 2017, Audrey Lois Eckert Grubbs passed through the pearly gates to her home in Heaven.
Audrey was born on March 30, 1923, in Emsworth, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Clarence and Vera Eckert. She was the youngest of 4 children. Vera Eckert passed away in 1924. Clarence married Frieda Stoltenburg in 1925. Frieda was a wonderful Mother to Audrey, her sister Esther, and her two brothers Bud and Bill.
As a toddler, Audrey survived her head getting trapped between the boarding platform and the wheel of an approaching streetcar, and was left with track marks on her scalp for the rest of her life.
Audrey attended Slippery Rock Teachers College in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania for two years. She wanted to be a school teacher.
Audrey married Captain Wallace E. Grubbs on February 3, 1944. He was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, where they were married, and she started her life as an Air Force wife. Audrey made a comfortable and loving home for her husband and 3 children everywhere they were stationed for the next 22 years. She was active in church, her children's interests, and volunteering in ways to help and support others.
In late December of 1954 and early January 1955, she traveled across the US by train, then by ship to Japan, with her 3 young children, to join husband Wally. The family lived in a Japanese community until Wally became the base commander at Fuchu Air Base.. The family then moved into base housing on Fuchu Air Base She was immersed into the Japanese culture, and made lifelong Japanese friends as well as military family friends.
The Grubbs family also lived in many different states while in the Air Force. They were stationed at Randolph AFB in San Antonio Tx, Scott AFB in Illinois, Tokyo Japan, Maxwell AFB in Alabama, the Pentagon in Washington DC, and then Randolph AFB, Texas in the early 1960's. Their final station was at Hickam AFB in Hawaii.
Colonel Grubbs retired in 1966, and they moved back to their favorite area of Texas, near San Antonio, and made Universal City their home. Audrey was a librarian at Randolph AFB Library for many years, and she loved getting to know all of the children that enjoyed the library.
After more than 50 years of marriage to Wally, he was called to Heaven in November of 1998. Audrey continued to enjoy the Universal City life until moving to Morningside Ministries-Cibolo House, in Boerne, Texas, in July of 2010. She resided there until her health declined in 2015, then she moved to Morningside Ministries-Kendall House, in Boerne, Texas, where she resided until her passing.
Her sister Esther Beal, husband Ted, her brother Bill Eckert, his wife Betty, and her brother Bud Eckert, all preceded her in passing through the gates of Heaven. Millie Eckert, wife of Bud, is now the remaining member of that generation of the family.
Audrey is now reunited for eternity with her husband Wally, her sister and brothers, and other family members who predeceased her.
Surviving Audrey and Wally are their children, Susan Grubbs Storrie, San Antonio, Texas, Esther Grubbs Killam (Edward), Reno, Nevada, and Darryll Grubbs (Patience), Dripping Springs, Texas. Audrey and Wally have 6 grandchildren: Kim Perry (Carl), Santa Monica, CA, Holt Storrie (Ashley), San Antonio, TX, Tycho Killam (Rose), Mt Airy, MD, Selena Watters (Scott), Redmond WA, Cody Killam (Aimee), Sparks, NV, and Cyrus Killam (Jamie), Reno NV. Audrey and Wally have 7 great-grandchildren: Holt Storrie II, Brooke Reedy, Whitney Reedy, Gavin Waters, Malia Watters, Westyn Killam, and Harper Audrey Killam, They also have 13 nieces and nephews all carrying on the legacy of Audrey and her siblings.
Audrey was a longtime and active member of the Protestant Women's Club of Chapel 1 at Randolph AFB, Texas. She sincerely lived her life by the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you".
Audrey suffered from Alzheimer's Disease for the last 12 years, and the family would like to thank Morningside Ministries of San Antonio and Boerne for their excellent commitment and care, and Alamo Hospice for the wonderful end of life support that Audrey received.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association in memory of Audrey Grubbs. http://www.alz.org/sanantonio/in_my_community_22430.asp
Susan Grubbs Storrie - Class of '63
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