Audrey O’Reilly
Loved Wife, Mum, Aunty, Grandma, Sister and Daughter-In-Law, Friend
1936-2025
John and I were just talking about Audrey, as is our daily conversation, and as there will not be a funeral service it made me want to deliver a well deserved eulogy to Audrey – a special Lady – my sister.
For John it has been very difficult for a long time … not seeing his Mum has hurt every day but only because circumstances were (are) beyond control; naturally right now he is inconsolable. We are grateful to Kevin for bringing Audrey (& Sarah & Steve) to London – a precious visit.
I met Audrey when I was 13 and she was a (sort of) grown up 19-year-old about to marry my beautiful brother Liam. She was instant fun and we had lots of fun together including riding bicycles to the sea laughing all the way. Our O’Reilly family loved her and I fell in love with her then and I have loved her ever since.
She was a no-nonsense Lady who got on with getting on with stuff … like giving birth to 7 babies – without a whinge and mostly between housekeeping tasks like laundry and shopping.
Amusing and History Anecdote … An amusing story of Sarah’s birth – and all at Liam’s expense! Betty and I got the (familiar) call that Audrey was about to give birth to her 7th child and that Liam was in the hospital with her (might have been the first time that he attended a birth?) Anyway, Betty and I, as always, travelled to Nottingham and arrived in the corridor of the hospital to see Liam pacing, obviously searching for something and looking worried. We were relieved to discover it was only because he thought he had lit a cigarette, couldn’t find it and was worried.
History part I know I know – cigarettes in a hospital! Those were the days!. His concern was that in his stress for Audrey who was having a difficult time he thought he had swallowed the cigarette! He was also bent over (we thought that might be permanent) as that was the position he had held with Audrey while holding her for some hours before coming out, or being sent out, of the ward. We joined in his search for the cigarette and were able to assure him that he probably hadn’t lit it and so we all went in to see Audrey – without cigarettes. Although we would have been allowed to bring them in to the ward, yes even with the new baby in there, and even get help from the nurses finding an ashtray!!! Audrey was with her beautiful new baby girl … Sarah … (beautiful then and beautiful now). Audrey, typically, was smiling even though she had had a very tough time -not your fault Sarah 🙂
And so, the class of the Magnificent 7 was concluded
10.30ish AM 6th April 1972
Another wonderful part of Audrey’s nature was how willingly she shared her (fairly packed) home with Kay, Betty and me when we needed it as early immigrants and she made us feel like it was our home.
From this is born another cultural or geographical anecdote … Audrey introduced us to Cobs (Nottingham for rolls) and her Saturday night cobs were legendary travelling to get those cobs was a pure delight.
We (Betty & Me and Kay) spent a lot of time for a very long time with our Nottingham family … and only life circumstances curtailed that but the love continued.
Cultural Anecdote
“if you truly love in the beginning you will love to the end” Tagore.
Audrey has been a widow for 45 years which she has personally navigated so very well; widowhood for most spells loneliness but Sarah and Steve (and of course Charlie) loved and cared for Audrey in their home … and the rest of the seven children were always there for her too … TTU (spiritual)
Now for the finale, Audrey is with Liam again and with the O’Reilly Brothers who all loved her and Maurice, Allie and Noreen too and no doubt others that she will be happy to rejoin.
Audrey you very special lady. I have missed seeing you as much as we used to and will miss you forever – as I know will your loving family and many others too.
All my love and respect.
Sheila