Audrey Lacroix Ainsworth

Audrey Lacroix Ainsworth, 89, died March 15th at the home of her son Scott and daughter in-law Susan of Watkinsville, GA. Audrey was born in Plainfield, NJ in 1926, the youngest daughter of Lillian Tompkins Lacroix and George Fernand Lacroix. During high school she enjoyed mathematics, music, and the arts. After high school, she worked as a welder during World War II before moving to Wisconsin to attend the University of Wisconsin where she earned a BA in economics. While at Wisconsin, she met her future husband, Kenneth George Ainsworth. Audrey and Kenneth wed in 1950. They first lived in Providence, RI and then moved to Brunswick, ME where their first child was born. They raised their three children in Meadville, PA where they lived for close to forty years. While following her husband's academic career, she worked in administration at the University of Wisconsin, Brown University, Allegheny College, and as the assistant to the president of Alliance College in nearby Cambridge Springs, PA. Prior to their retirement in 1992, they bought a 1700's Cape Cod farm-house in North Eastham, MA. This was their retirement project.

Audrey and Kenneth moved to Watkinsville in February of this year.

Audrey was a polio survivor, having contracted the disease during the epidemic in 1955. She was hospitalized for over half a year. Although she made a strong recovery she never fully regained use of her left hand. This left her unable to continue playing the cello at which she had excelled. Perhaps because of these experiences, she was a strong proponent of vaccines and preventive healthcare measures.
Her greatest joys revolved around her husband, family, friends, the arts, and community action. She and her husband (with help from numerous in-laws) built a small cabin on a Wisconsin lake near his family home. That cabin became a favorite location for frequent family gatherings. Audrey enjoyed travelling and encouraged her children to travel widely. Her many destinations included Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Eastern and Western Europe, and the Americas. Whenever any of her offspring were living or working far away, she was ready to visit. Although well into her 80s, she travelled from Massachusetts to Beirut for a grandchild's wedding and to California for another's graduation. If she missed a major event for one grandchild, she was probably at another family event.
Audrey always enjoyed the arts. She was particularly active in ceramics, stained glass, textiles, and painting while in Meadville. In North Eastham she took up watercolors, pastels, and quilting. In January of this year, she was thrilled to make pottery at the Athens area Good Dirt Pottery Studio.
Audrey was an avid gardener throughout her life and a masterful cook. She involved everyone in her cooking activities and these often revolved around whatever was fresh from the garden and the sea.
Audrey is survived by her husband, Kenneth, of 65 years, her children Thomas Ainsworth (Paula Davidson) of Burke, VA, Leslie Ainsworth Dakik (Ali Dakik) of Beirut, LE, and Scott Ainsworth (Susan Nees) of Watkinsville, GA. She leaves nine grandchildren, many of whom stayed with her for weeks to months at a time. She also leaves a great granddaughter, whom she first met as a week-old baby.
She was predeceased by her two sisters and their husbands and four brothers in-law on her husband's side. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Outer Cape Health Services, P.O. Box 1413, Wellfleet, MA 02667 in Audrey's name. A memorial will be held on Saturday March, 19th at 1:00 at the Unitarian Fellowship at 780 Timothy Road in Athens.