AUDREY DIGENNARO Obituary (1924 - 2015) - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Audrey DiGennaro, 91, of Trevose, PA, formerly Cape May, NJ and Philadelphia, PA. Went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, November 21, 2015. Audrey was born in England in the town of Shaftesbury, in Dorset to Sydney and Amy Waller on March 20, 1924. She is preceded in death by her husband, Peter G., daughter, Annette Theresa DiGennaro, grandson, Peter Thomas DiGennaro, and daughter-in-law, Rosemary DiGennaro (nee Ciak). Left to cherish her memory on this side of the pond are her three sons, Peter A., Louis (Joan), Thomas M., and her two daughters, Mary (John) Zeszut, and Deborah (Richard) Dailey. Survived and also cherished by 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren and one great-grandchild on the way. On the other side of the pond, Audrey is further preceded in death by her parents, Sydney and Amy Waller, her two sisters and brothers-in-law, Lillian and Wilfred Dean, and Eileen and Ronald Panton. Left to treasure her memory are her brother and sister-in-law, Arthur and Margaret Waller, as well as numerous nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews. Audrey grew up in England and often spoke of the "green, green grass of home" and how they grew all their own vegetables and fruit. She fondly remembers her father, Sydney, being a wonderful, sweet man. However, he was very ill much of his life that she can remember because he was exposed to chemical warfare during World War I. She developed a love for card games from her mother, Amy, which was a favorite pass time for the entire family. There is a love story that began during World War II. Audrey met her husband, Peter, an American Army Soldier, stationed in Sherborne, England. It was truly love at first sight! They spent as much time together as they could during his assignment. Their hearts were broken when he was shipped off to France. As he would later write in a letter to his mother, "One time I was away from her for just one week and the fellows told me I looked kind of sick and I should go see the doctor in the hospital. But it wasn't that. All I needed to be happy was to have Audrey and I don't think I have ever been unhappy since." Pete returned to England to ask Audrey to marry him. She said, "Yes." Her sister, Lilly, set out to ensure that Audrey had a proper wedding gown as material of this nature was difficult to come by during the war. They were married in Sherborne Abbey on New Year's Eve, December 31, 1945. Audrey arrived in the United States several months later on the Queen Mary in March of 1946 leaving behind her mother, two sisters and brother, who she would not see again for the next eight years. She was instantly welcomed by her new American family who loved her and cared for her. She became instant friends with her two sisters-in-law, Mary and Teresa. Her mother and father-in-law, Pasqua and Luigi DiGennaro, adored her from the first time they met her. They would go on to ultimately give birth to and raise six children. She enjoyed playing cards, movies, reading, singing and swaying along to the sounds of Tony Bennett and, especially, enjoyed spending time with her family. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her. Relatives and friends are invited to her viewing on Friday, November 27th, 9:30-10:30AM at St. Christopher Church, 13301 Proctor Road, Philadelphia, PA 19116. The Funeral Mass starts at 10:30AM and the Interment is private.