Born to the late William and Viola Faessinger on August 10, 1940 in Jersey City, she lived her early years in New Milford, NJ. In May 1962 she married Nelson F. Gravenstede of Washington Township, NJ and moved to Andover where they resided the remaining 61 years of her life in the home they purchased as newlyweds. Audrey graduated from Dumont High School in 1958 and earned a Registered Nurse degree in 1961 from Englewood Hospital School of Nursing. In 1986, she graduated Cum Laude from Jersey City State College with a Bachelor of Science and certifications in School Nursing and Health Education. Audrey worked in numerous nursing homes and schools in Sussex County before serving as the school nurse in Sparta Middle School until her retirement in 2001.
In 1965, an airline trip to visit relatives in California generated interest in recreational vehicle travel and the purchase of a truck and camper, leading to two adventurous round trips to the West Coast. Starting in 1970 Audrey and her family took five round trips (14k miles) to the Yukon Territory and Alaska, sometimes lasting for seven weeks, the last of which was in 2009. Audrey was a member of the Alpha Roamer Camping Club, a group of RV-ers in Northern NJ, and partook in their 50th anniversary of camping on the East Coast as well as many campouts at the Gravenstede residence in Andover. In 1988, three families from the camping club purchased a bungalow at the Jersey Shore which the group enjoyed for over ten years.
At home, Audrey loved watching deer in her front yard and blue birds splashing in their bird baths, raising their families in special bird houses built by Nelson. She relished in tending to her flower garden in the front yard and her vegetable garden in the backyard, which the deer and groundhogs were also fond of. Husband Nelson and a local friend built a home addition for Audrey, featuring a large kitchen for hosting parties and a car garage with only one step in and out to aid her eyesight problems.
Audrey is survived by her beloved husband, Nelson F. Gravenstede; her sons Kenneth Nelson Gravenstede (Anne) and Steven Wayne Gravenstede; her granddaughters Rebecca & Melanie Gravenstede; her sister Arlene (Mickey); and her sister-in-law Carol.
Audrey was predeceased by her brother Charles Faessinger and her parents William & Viola Faessinger.
A visitation for Audrey will be held Friday, November 10, 2023 from 4 pm to 8 pm at Wood Funeral Home, 16 Main St., Branchville, NJ 07826.
Contributions in Audrey's memory may be made to Alzheimer's Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, Illinois 60601; or The American Cancer Society , P.O. Box 6704, Hagerstown, Maryland 21741,
Online condolences to the family may be offered at www.smithmccrackenfuneralhome.com
