Lois Audrey Lorraine Gibney's Obituary
Born July 1, 1924 in Oakland, Ca. to Hubert Andree Ditmer and Irene Frances Schulz. Elementary and High School educated in the Oakland public schools and graduated Mills College 1946 with a Calif. State Teachers' Credential. Also attended UCLA and Columbia Univ. in NYC. Taught primarily kindergarten through 6th grades, first in Hawthorne in So. Cal. and then in SF. mostly at Hunters Point and at Treasure Island Elem. with additional teaching at the Women's College of Lone Mountain in SF. While her duties at Treasure Island centered on the classroom, she filled in as principal for Tom Rodman for two years while Tom served on the SF Grand Jury. She met Edward Joseph Gibney in 1952 and after dating 3 years, they married Sept. 5, 1955. Audrey loved education, the classroom, the children and her many friends from the education world. She and Ed spent many happy years in their 'second home' they built at Lake Wildwood near Grass Valley beginning in 1981. She leaves many dear friends, husband Edward Joseph, step-son Ed his wife Kathy of San Diego, 4 grandchildren and 4 great-grand kids, and her cousin, Delores Williams , of San Lorenzo, Calif. Audrey (most called her Audie) loved to travel. Her earliest travel experience dates back to age 5 when she accompanied her Mother Irene. She remembers her mother telling the story of when her mother was in fourth grade, she told her teacher Miss Quinn that she would someday travel around the world, which she did in 1956. Such confidence wasn't lost on Audie. She believed she could do anything that she determined could be done. She and Ed traveled to every continent (except Antarctica), enjoying it all, especially the tranquility of her special places in Hawaii and Tahiti and making special friends there. The most fascinating was Egypt, the pyramids and the Nile. A few memorable highlights of her life include Tom Rodman going with the teachers to Friday lunches at the Officers Club on Treasure Island, having lunch with Ed's Auntie Alice at her 104th birthday party and driving cross country every two years to visit Ed's parents in Minnesota. Audrey especially wanted to thank her wonderful neighbors, Larry and Terri Cloney of Lake Wildwood, and Jim and Lynda Hampton of Oakland for their many years of friendship, love and kindness. Funeral service is Thurs, Aug. 23 at 10am at the Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, Ca 94611. Interment at Mountain View Cemetery immediately following. Visitation for family and friends is Wed. from 5-8pm at the Chapel.
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