Audrey Montanus

Audrey Montanus

Greece: Passed away after a long illness at the age of 88.

Audrey is survived by her loving and dedicated husband of 61 years, Neil; her daughter, Lisa; son, Jim (girlfriend, Allison); grandchildren, Manny Burgio (wife, Kris), Ryan (fiance, Jen Richard); great-grandchildren, Brooke and Michael. She is predeceased by her son, Daniel and adopted daughter, Suzie Cacia.

Audrey was a kind, loving soul who raised a family and worked full time as a Rochester City School elementary teacher at School 25. She was also a mother figure to many; always accepting and caring to others, always willing to help when needed.

Audrey grew up in abject poverty during the great depression in a tiny mid-western town in the middle of nowhere called Erie, Illinois. But like so many people of her generation, she rose out of poverty and became a part of the greatest generation in our country's history.

As a child, she attended a one-room schoolhouse and had nine people in her high school graduating class. She worked her way through college at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon Iowa by working nights as a waitress for 25 cents an hour at the 'Sip and Bite, Open all Night' and also received a modest amount towards college from the Air Force after her brother - a tail-gunner in a B-17 bomber - was shot down over France during WWII on his first mission.

In college she studied teaching, art and language, spending summers in San Antonio and Mexico. After graduating from college, her first teaching job was in a one-room schoolhouse in Prophetstown, Illinois.

Audrey met Neil through an introduction from Audrey's college roommate and friend of Neil's in Ashton, Illinois. After they broke up, Audrey and her best friend drove from Illinois to California in a 49 Ford along the now legendary Route 66, where they planned to live and teach.

Neil realized he couldn't live without her and later flew to Los Angeles where he proposed to her on Long Beach in front of a bonfire that he built.
They moved to Rochester in 1954 after Neil was offered a job as a staff photographer at Kodak. After retiring from the City School District, Audrey was a volunteer docent at the Memorial Art Gallery. She also enjoyed gardening and traveling to many beautiful places around the world with Neil, including spending summers in Yosemite National Park where Neil taught photography.

Friends may call at the New Comer Funeral Home, 2636 Ridgeway Avenue in Greece, Saturday from 1-4 pm. Her Memorial service will be held at the Lakeview Community Church, 30 Long Pond Rd in Greece at 2 pm on Sunday.