Audrey F. Schweizer's Obituary
Audrey F. Schweizer, age 80, of Lewes, DE, passed away on Tuesday, June 7, 2011, at the home of her daughter Barbara Service and son-in-law Glenn Hill. Born in Camden, NJ on July 30,1930 she was the daughter of the late Francis and Gertrude Trauman Vaughan.
Mrs. Schweizer was a Daughter, Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Artist, Designer, Teacher and an Opera Singer with many accomplishments. She was a graduate of Moorestown High School, NJ, Rutgers University and she attended Oxford University in England.
Mrs. Schweizer was an opera singer for over fifty years, her singing coach, the renowned Miss Wood, empowered her beautiful voice, which led Audrey's career from singing on the radio, to performing the lead role in many operas including, II Trovatore, Aida, Amahl, The Gondaleers, Carmen, Pagliacci, The Red Mill, and la Traviata to name a few.
Residing in Pennsauken most of her life she continued her music career with Temple Lutheran Church's Choir under the direction of the Philadelphia Boys Choir director Carlton Lake. She taught Music in the Pennsauken Middle School. When she moved to Collingwood, NJ, she sang with Haddonfield's First Presbyterian Church Choir under the direction of Kenneth Carter who had ties to the Philadelphia Orchestra. She also sang and traveled the world with Singing City. She did voice coaching and adjudications and worked with starting an opera company for the community of Pennsauken.
Audrey would tell everyone, her greatest accomplishment was traveling to Europe and singing with the Philadelphia Orchestra, which included singing behind the Iron Curtain in Red Square. Audrey sang opera for fifty years and continued to sing, breaking into song with her beautiful voice at a moment’s notice until the end.
She is survived by her daughter Barbara Service Hill and her husband Glenn Hill of Lewes, DE; her son Paul Allan Schweizer and wife Vickie of Pennsauken, NJ; five grandchildren: Matthew Service and wife Tiffany, Jennifer Moyer and husband Joshua, Paul A. Schweizer III and wife Michelle, Samantha Rosa and husband Al, and Lynne Schweizer; and three great-grandchildren: Jasmine and April Moyer and Lily Service. She was preceded in death by her husband Paul A. Schweizer in 1988.
A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, June 16, 2011 at 1:00 pm, at the Angola Beach and Estates Clubhouse,22971 Suburban Blvd, Lewes, De. Interment will be private. Arrangements by Parsell Funeral Homes and Crematorium, Lewes, DE.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Haddonfield Presbyterian Church Choir, 20 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield, New Jersey 08033, phone 856-459-1960
Please visit Mrs. Schweizer's life memorial at www.parsellfuneralhomes.com to sign the online guestbook.
PDF Printable Version
What’s your fondest memory of Audrey?
What’s a lesson you learned from Audrey?
Share a story where Audrey's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Audrey you’ll never forget.
How did Audrey make you smile?