Audrey Doris May Page

Audrey Doris May Page of Mount Holly, North Carolina, passed away on Thursday, January 12, 2023 at the age of 97. Born on July 2, 1925 in Trenton, North Carolina, the eldest child of Clara Mae Lowery May and Robert Charles May. Audrey’s younger brother, Retired Col. Robert “Bob” Charles May, Jr., was her only sibling and closest friend.

Audrey graduated East Carolina Teachers College (now East Carolina University) with a degree in Home Economics and Science. After graduation, she began teaching vocational home economics in Kings Mountain, where she met her husband, Bill, at a picnic. Audrey married William “Bill” Hoke Page on July 30, 1949 in Greenville, North Carolina. Audrey was the last surviving member of her family and her husband’s family.

Audrey and Bill moved from Kings Mountain to Greenville in 1955, while Bill attended East Carolina College. They then moved to Raleigh in 1958 and there their first child was born in 1959. They lived in Raleigh until 1993, at which time they moved to Mount Holly. They were married for 63 years.

Audrey is survived by her daughter, Clara “Meg” Page Farmer and husband Gregory Scott Farmer, along with grandsons Mason and William and granddaughter-in-law Sarah Zilonis, all of Mount Holly; and her son, William “Hoke” Page, Jr. and wife Anne Funai Page, along with granddaughter Ana Shelvey Page, all of Newport, North Carolina. Additionally, brother Robert “Bob” Charles May, Jr. along with his daughter, Laura Elizabeth Hill, husband David Scott Hill and daughter Arin Elizabeth Hill. Audrey was predeceased by her husband, Bill, and her sister-in-law, Jill Wilson May.

While in Raleigh, Audrey was engaged in numerous business pursuits. She worked as a teacher’s aid for several years, as well as with Durham Life Insurance Company in the actuarial department. An extremely talented seamstress (as was her mother), Audrey’s entrepreneurial pursuits included sewing and altering clothes for a select group of clients. She and Bill founded
and successfully ran Professional Monogramming Company. Audrey cared for her mother and her aunt, Marguerite Bryan, each of whom lived nearby. Audrey was a member of Fairmont United Methodist Church in Raleigh and then of First United Methodist Church, Mount Holly, NC, where she had many good friends.

Known as “Gaga” to her grandchildren, Audrey adored her three grandchildren and was
intensely proud of each of them. She was well known for her baking talents as well. Her
grandson, William, referred to her as “the smartest girl in the world,” an accolade that was truly
appropriate for her in the hearts of those who loved her.