Audrey Hutchings

Peacefully, at Michael Garron Hospital, on October 29, 2022, at the age of 92. Predeceased by her husband, Steve; sisters, Linda, and Doris; and brother, Stanley. Mother to daughters, Stephanie, and Marie; and son, Howard. Will also be missed by her nieces, nephews, and grandchildren. The family would like to extend their appreciation to the staff at Michael Garron Hospital, for making our mother’s stay comfortable. Friends may call on Saturday, November 5th, from 10:00 am until 12:00 pm, with a Celebration of Life Ceremony to follow at 12:00 pm at Giffen-Mack & Trull Funeral Home, 2570 Danforth Avenue, Toronto, ON. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made on Audrey’s behalf, to the Heart & Stroke Foundation, or the Alzheimer Society of Canada.

Audrey was a very Loving, kind and gentle soul; she was also very independent and very supportive of anything you wish to do. However, should you ask her opinion about something, you need to be prepared because you might not like what she had to say. Audrey was very honest and forthright about her thoughts and sometimes felt maybe too much so, but that was who she was and was not something she could or should change about herself.

Audrey is an inspiration to us all and will be dearly missed.

Audrey was born on Monday, March 31, 1930 on the main floor of the house, 25 Wanstead Ave, that was still being built by the family.

She was the youngest sibling of 4, Doris being the eldest sister, then Stan and then Linda. There 7 years difference between Audrey and Linda.

When Audrey was a little girl, her father had a chicken coop in the back yard. It was Audrey's responsibility to feed the chickens. One day there was an accident. A board with a nail in it fell loose and landed on one of the chicks, knocking out its eye. Audrey nursed this little chick back to health and it became her favorite. She named it OneEye. Every time her father would go to the back and get a chicken for dinner, she would tell him to stay away from OneEye. Eventually, OneEye would have to be cooked, but Audrey had no part of that meal.

Audrey went to the Old Oakridge Public School while it was still on the Danforth. While there, she felt that if for some reason something happened to her right hand, she would not be able to do things for herself. So, Audrey taught herself how write with her left hand. She was very determined to do so and eventually became very good at it. Then the school had to march across the Danforth to new Oakridge Public School located at Byng/Denton Ave areas.

One of Audrey's favorite pastimes was fishing with her father. They would go up to the lake and fish for hours. She had no problems putting the worms on the hooks at all. In fact, when she met her future husband Steve, she even baited his hooks for him.

Audrey met Steve at the place where they worked at Thermos. Steve worked in the office and Audrey worked on the assembly line. Steve was not much of a fisherman, Audrey taught him everything he knew. One weekend, Steve went fishing with a bunch of his buddies. It was more to play cards, but he borrowed all of Audrey's fishing gear that he took with him. Steve decided to give Audrey a call. Audrey didn't answer the phone because she had decided to go to the movies with some friends. When Steve got home, he brought a little skunk with him to give to Audrey because he thought she was a stinker for not being home when he called. All Audrey had to say was that you didn't expect me to sit around and wait for your call did you? There started Audrey's skunk collection.

Audrey and Steve married on September 29, 1956 at The Wanstead Church which was located at the bottom of Wanstead Ave. Audrey's mother could not go to the wedding as she was very sick. It was kind of a rainy day and they went back and forth from the Church to the house to check on her mother. Food was being brought from the house to the church as well.

Audrey believed in living life to the fullest. She had 3 beautiful children, Stephanie (July 31, 1957), Marie (July 28, 1961) and Howard (March 11, 1963). Audrey always wanted a son, so third time's a charm. Audrey also had 2 beautiful grandchildren Kiera (September 21, 1994) and Jacob (October 23, 1997). Audrey loved them all with all her heart.

Many journeys took place over Audrey's life span, Florida (a few times), out west to B.C. just to name a couple .

On March 31, 2001, Steve passed away. He had a perforated ulcer, among other things that were wrong with him. Howard had driven him to the hospital on March 26, 2001 because he was complaining of a sore stomach all weekend, but wouldn't go to the hospital until the Monday. We all visited him in the hospital at that time but Audrey got the phone call early Wednesday morning to say they had to take him in for emergency surgery. I received a call from Audrey at work to say that I needed to get to the hospital. After surgery, the doctors said that he had the biggest ulcer they had ever seen but it was hidden behind his rib cage and they couldn't see until it was too late. The ulcer perforated and all the poison had gotten into his blood stream. Steve did not want to live on any machines to keep him alive, that was not living. Steph and Jerry stayed at the hospital and I went back home with Audrey. The nurse came to get Steph and Jerry, but by the time they got to his room he was gone. Audrey got the phone call early March 31, 2001, (Audrey's birthday) and we went to the hospital together. He was gone.

Over the years Audrey maintained the house with all of us pitching in when we could until Audrey felt she could no longer stay in the house. (Yes, the house at 25 Wanstead Ave). Audrey decided that she wanted to sell the house and move into an apartment of her own. Steph and Jerry stepped up and offered Audrey to stay with them. Audrey would have no part of that unless she could pay her way in rent and expenses. They agreed and so on June 1st 2018, the house was sold and Audrey moved in with them. Whether Audrey would agree or not, it was the best thing she could do. Audrey had access to a full back yard but had a little piece of garden she could call her own, taking care of it, weeding it, nurturing it; She could talk to Steve whenever she wanted to.

Audrey had a couple of falls, that had she not been at Steph's, she probably would not have survived.

On May 13, 2022, Audrey had a stroke which no one even knew she had, including Audrey, until she was taken to the hospital. The only thing that eluded to anything being wrong was that Audrey was talking about a nurse that had visited her. When taken to hospital, and after several tests, it was found that Audrey had had a stroke.

After several weeks in the hospital, Audrey was released but she still kept talking about things that either hadn't happened to her or talking about seeing her mom and dad; Audrey was diagnosed with delirium. A few days after being released from hospital, a nurse came to check on her and she didn't like the sound of her lungs or heart. Back to the hospital Audrey goes again. She was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, which is fluid on the lungs. Audrey had to start drinking thickened fluids so that it goes down the proper tube of the throat. (She was actually drinking thickened fluids while in hospital as well). When Audrey got out of the hospital this time, she was ok for a while. She had physiotherapists in to help correct her walking ability. Audrey was using a cane all this time, but eventually had to switch to a walker, which she didn't much like. She also had a behavioural specialist as well to help with her memory. She also needed a speech pathologist which Audrey never saw. All was going as well as could be expected for the time being.

Audrey had good days and bad days. Some days she would eat and other days she wouldn't have lunch. Audrey used to eat 3 square meals a day no questions asked. She had a very hearty appetite. But since her stroke, it was often difficult to get 2 meals in her. The one thing she would do is take her medication twice every day, she would sometimes even ask Steph if it was time for her medication. Steph would just tell her that she has to take it 12 hours apart, 8 or 9 in the morning and then 8 or 9 at night.

At times it was very difficult on Steph and Jerry, especially at night or when the weather was bad. Audrey also had what they call Sun Downing, when a person does not know the difference between day and night. Audrey would often have difficulty sleeping at night because she slept a lot during the day.

It wasn't until the Tuesday (September 20, 2022) that Audrey had a small stroke. The PSW took Audrey for a walk and didn't like the way she walked or was speaking and suggested they take her to the hospital.

From September 20, 2022, Audrey was diagnosed with having a TIA (small stroke), a congestive heart failure, dementia, and vascular dementia. And she contracted Covid-19 while in hospital as well. Audrey had to be in isolation a couple of times where only one person could visit her during this time period. On October 13, the doctors were suggesting that we think about palliative care for Audrey. On October 14, we were told that she did not qualify for palliative care at MGH because a patient would have to have a life expectancy of less than 3 months and they thought Audrey had more than 3 months. On the Tuesday, we were told that Audrey now qualifies for MGH palliative care. Over the past few days, Audrey refused to eat, refused medication a few times and is declining rapidly. Audrey also refused any fluid. Thursday afternoon a spot became available for MGH and Audrey was moved. This was October 20, 2022, exactly one month to the day of bringing Audrey into the hospital, she is now in palliative care. Who would have thought of that. Not me for sure. Again we took turns visiting Audrey, Steph would visit in the day and Howard and I took turns at night. At this point in time, Audrey was not drinking much fluid, all her food had to be pureed as she cannot swallow much (dementia) and if she is talking, it is so low that you have to practically lean right over her to hear what she is saying, and most of what she was saying was not making any sense. You have to pick and choose very carefully what she is saying to try and carry on a conversation with her.

On the Thursday before her passing, Audrey was not very talkative at all, but she said a couple of things to me that made me think that time was coming close.

She said your father, your father and chair. I asked Audrey if Steve was in the room and she nodded yes to me. I thought very carefully about what I was going to say next to her. I took a deep breath and said to Audrey, Audrey we all love you very much and you did everything to help us fit in this big bad world and if you need to go with Steve then you should go. She just looked up to me, eyes opened (most times when she talks to you eyes are closed) as though she was acknowledging what I was saying, but without expression on her face and then closed her eyes again. I sat for a few moments and then kissed her on the forehead, told her I loved her and I would see her tomorrow and left. I said to myself as I walked out the door that Audrey would most likely not see Halloween and if she passed this weekend I was going to watch the Wizard of Oz (which I did)

Audrey passed away on Saturday October 29, 2022 at 5:30 am in the morning. Her passing we were told was a peaceful one.

Audrey is now reunited with Steve and all other family members and friends that passed before her.