{"id":7335,"date":"2025-07-21T12:54:36","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T12:54:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mylifeonastick.com\/mloas\/?page_id=7335"},"modified":"2025-12-18T17:56:33","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T17:56:33","slug":"audrey","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mylifeonastick.com\/mloas\/audrey\/","title":{"rendered":"Audrey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Audrey O’Reilly<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loved Wife, Mum, Aunty, Grandma, Sister and Daughter-In-Law, Friend
<\/strong>1936-2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. \u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was a no-nonsense Lady who got on with getting on with stuff \u2026 like giving birth to 7 babies – without a whinge and mostly between housekeeping tasks like laundry and shopping. \u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amusing and History Anecdote<\/mark> <\/em><\/strong>… An amusing story of Sarah\u2019s birth – and all at Liam\u2019s 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<\/em>, couldn’t find it and was worried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

History part<\/mark> <\/strong>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\u2019t lit it and so we all went in to see Audrey – without cigarettes<\/em>. 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 \u2026 Sarah … (beautiful then and beautiful now). Audrey, typically, was smiling even though she had had a very tough time -not your fault Sarah \ud83d\ude42 <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, the class of the Magnificent 7 was concluded<\/mark><\/strong><\/em>
10.30ish AM 6th April 1972<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We (Betty & Me and Kay) spent a lot of time for a very long time with our Nottingham family \u2026 and only life circumstances curtailed that but the love continued. \u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cultural Anecdote<\/mark><\/strong>
\u201cif you truly love in the beginning you will love to the end\u201d Tagore.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 \u2026 and the rest of the seven children were always there for her too \u2026 TTU (spiritual<\/mark><\/strong>)\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now for the finale, Audrey is with Liam again and with the O\u2019Reilly Brothers who all loved her and Maurice, Allie and Noreen too and no doubt others that she will be happy to rejoin.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All my love and respect.\u200b
Sheila<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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7 responses to “Audrey”<\/h2>\n\n
  1. \n\n
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    All my love to all my cousins! Whenever we got together all through the years growing up, I will always remember the fun times at Auntie Audrey’s and Uncle Liam’s house! How did we all stay there, so many great memories out in the garden, playing Killer and I’ll never forget the time we surprised everyone that summer!! She was larger than life, always making us laugh, RIP Auntie Audrey xxx<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li>

  2. \n\n
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    Condolences all my Cuz\u2019s. In my prayers.<\/p>\n

    I will always remember Auntie Audrey\u2019s laugh, especially when I told her my favourite dog was the Durex Dog when she and I knew I meant the Dulux dog xxxx<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li>

  3. \n\n
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    Messages on Whatsapp<\/p>\n

    Hi A lovely tribute to Audrey, I’d say the family will love it as I do. RIP Audrey Patty Dublin
    \n—
    \nThat is so sad , I have such good memories of Auntie Audrey when we were kids \u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f
    \nSheila McKenna USA
    \n—
    \nThis is sad, she was a great lady, my condolences John xx
    \nLauren McKenna USA
    \n—
    \nOh God that is so so sad. She was such a force and boy did her and I laugh a lot together xx. Amazing… Lovely words. had to laugh at the cigarette story in the hospital. can def imagine Uncle Liam doing that! xxx
    \nJoanne McKenna London
    \n—
    \nbeautiful family story. My condolences to John. I love you both.\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f
    \nJo Borges O\u2019Reilly Brazil<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li>

  4. \n\n
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    I met Audrey on the 4th of February 1964, we were both at home at the time as she was taking delivery of me – and if I remember rightly, she did her weekly shop later that afternoon! That was Audrey, my Mum\u2026 kind and giving and no fuss. She was always up for a joke. In her later years I suggested she worked in Kings Cross, as a prostitute, to top up her pension… she wasn’t totally against the idea \u2013 her only objection was that she didn\u2019t have the right clothes.<\/p>\n

    I miss you Mum and I’m so sad I couldn’t have been with you for some time, but you were sympathetic to this and said, “you probably won’t even make my funeral and you made sure I would be ok about that that by declaring that you didn\u2019t want a funeral”.<\/p>\n

    I will always remember your words \u2026. Words only you used regularly \u2026 Kybosh | Well that\u2019s it for another year | Califonia
    \nThank you Mum for being you x<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li>

  5. \n\n
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    I met Audrey in 1978 when I was 14. John and I had become best friends at school and as we only lived a few hundred yards from each other we were constantly in and out of each other’s houses. We were very lucky, it was like having two families.<\/p>\n

    My memory is mainly of John and I always teasing Audrey, until she chased us, but you could tell she loved it.<\/p>\n

    However, as is usually the case, Audrey got the last laugh on me. I was fortunate enough to attend a couple of the O’Reilly weddings, and on one of the wedding photos, there was a very embarrassing picture of me. Thankfully I did not see it but Audrey enjoyed making me squirm telling me about it. I bumped in to Audrey many years later when Sarah was taking her out and she still remembered that photograph. Karma!!!!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

    1. \n\n
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      I don’t think I ever met John’s mum Audrey. It’s possible I did, because I met a hundred of the family over the last 30 years. But I don’t think so. I did hear much about her though. Clearly a strong loving family woman.
      \nI do know that their closeness has always been obvious to see, and have felt a part of that.
      \nMy condolences to all.
      \nBob.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><\/ol><\/li>

    2. \n\n
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      What a beautiful eulogy for such an amazing lady. Please give my love to John he is in my thoughts at this time.
      \nSheila, as the sage & chronicler of your various families it is a wonderful gift to be able to recall so many varied & happy times within your rollicking families over the years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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