Obituary of Audrey A. Van Anden

Audrey "Lee" Van Anden, 88, formerly of Dataw Island, South Carolina, died on October 23, 2016 at her new home in Atria Senior Living LifeCare Center, Alpharetta, Georgia. She and her husband moved there on October 4, 2016. Mrs. Van Anden had been fighting poor health since April 1997 as a result of an auto accident caused by a stroke. At the scene she was pronounced dead. Fifteen minutes later she was revived and flown by helicopter to the Yale New Haven Hospital. When her husband, Charles R. Van Anden, arrived he was informed she had died in the Emergency Room. Shortly thereafter, the Doctors announced they had revived her once again and she would live but was blind and had severe Traumatic Brain Injury. After months of rehabilitation and two years of blindness her sight was restored and her traumatic brain injury was treated the rest of her life. Mrs. Van Anden was born in Southampton, England on December 3, 1927 as Audrey A. Tizard. She grew up in Portsmouth, England where her home was bombed by German Aircraft in early 1940's.They moved to a new home and four months later it too was bombed. Her parents had her and her brother Brian evacuated. During the evacuation they were separated, she went to Salisbury, England and Brian to another town twenty five miles away. They did not see each other until after the war. In Salisbury she stayed at various private homes that took in evacuees until June of 1944. On returning to Portsmouth she became employed by the British Admiralty. In 1953 she immigrated to New York City, obtained a green card, and was hired by Deering Milliken Company a textile firm. Many times she was pressed to become a fashion model but on each occasion she adamantly refused. She did become a fashion coordinator for the firm and eventually for several other retail firms. It was at Milliken that she met her future husband and they were married in 1957. Two years later they moved to Southborough, Mass. where they restored an antique home built in 1689. She and her husband became active in St. Mark's Episcopal Church where she ran several of their Church Fairs. An avid gardener and collector of antiques her homes and gardens were often on show. In 1973 they moved to Stamford/Greenwich, Ct. to another antique home built in 1746. Her activities expanded into raising horses and dogs as well as her children. She was a member of the Stamford Garden Club and St. Bartholomew Episcopal Church. In 1982 she became President of the Connecticut Daughters of the British Empire. She served two terms then was elected to the National Board of that charitable establishment as Organizing Secretary. She was also on the Board of the Victoria Home in Ossining, N.Y., a Life Care facility, for ten years. In 1990 they moved to Essex, Ct. to another antique home. Once again her gardens and home were constantly asked to be on show. A member of the Essex Garden Club, Essex Yacht Club and Old Lyme Country Club consumed much of her time until her accident in 1997. She and her husband moved to Callawassie Island, S.C. late in 1999 where they built a home. Because of her health they decided to downsize and moved to Dataw Island, S.C. in 2004. She was a member of St. Helena Anglican Church in Beaufort, S.C. Her remarkable achievements and unwavering determination to "Keep Going" have been an inspiration to her family. She is survived by her husband, two daughters, three stepsons, seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Family members will gather for a funeral service at St. Nicholas on the Hudson Episcopal Church, 37 Point Street in New Hamburg, N.Y. at 1 p.m. on Saturday October 29, 2016 (a town where Van Anden's have lived for centuries). Burial will follow at the Wappingers Rural Cemetery, West Main Street in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to your local Hospice Care, in Audrey's name. Arrangements are under the direction of Straub, Catalano & Halvey Funeral Home, 55 East Main Street in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. For directions or to send the family a personal condolence, please visit our website at www.StraubCatalanoHalvey.com.