Obituary of Audrey Deane Metz

Audrey Deane Metz

April 4, 1928-April 21, 2023

Our loving mother, Audrey Deane (Fleenor) Metz left this earth on Friday, April 21, 2023. She was living at Nightingale Lane Memory Facility in Arvada, Colorado.

She was a working mother while living in Kansas City, Missouri. She and her children and the children of a friend survived the Ruskin Heights tornado of 1957.

At the age of 39, after moving to Arizona, she began fostering newborns, providing loving care to more than 30 infants. She continued foster care, totaling nine years, after moving to Colorado.

In her later years, she was the kitchen manager for Arvada United Methodist Church. She helped with church and community events. She later went to work for Walmart as a greeter after being approached by a store manager while eating lunch with friends at a McDonald’s. The lady was in the process of opening a new store and thought mom’s joyful personality was just what they were looking for. She worked there for many years until she was injured at work, in May of 2015.

In October of 2015 she moved into a senior living community and loved having her own apartment and made many friends during her five-year stay. As her memory deteriorated, she was no longer safe to be living alone and in December of 2020, she moved into a memory care facility, where she remained until her passing.

She loved doing the Macarena at the local Mexican restaurants with the Mariachi band. They always finished by giving her a shot glass of water that she would down and the customers would cheer her on. One time a customer bought her a shot of tequila which was waiting for her at the table. Boy was she surprised when she downed that!

She always had a sense of humor and loved to laugh. Even in her later days, when asked how she was feeling, she would always respond, “With my hands,” giving everyone a chuckle.

She passed peacefully, on her own terms, and now soars with the angels.

She is survived by her children, son, Rob Kolb (Lauralyn), Clinton, New York; daughters, Nita Eckhart (Jimmy), Abingdon, Maryland; Judi Parson, Westminster, Colorado; and Kim Whitmore, Lakewood, Colorado. She is survived by eight grandchildren, ten great grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John Metz, and infant daughter, Marguerite Marie Metz. Her internment will be at Fort Logan National Cemetery, alongside her husband, June 21, 2023 at 11:15 a.m.