Obituary of Audrey June Orton

December 23, 1929 - Galt, Ontario

October 21, 2023 - Calgary, Alberta

Audrey Orton loved cats.

Please don’t misunderstand - Audrey’s 93 years of adventures cannot adequately be described in mere paragraphs. However, no matter the era of her life, her love for cats was there.

Born Audrey Wright on December 23, 1929, in Galt, Ontario, she grew up with her sisters, Betty and Jackie and an assortment of family felines.

While studying to be a nurse, she met the love of her life, Frederick Orton. Their love was the kind of tale that warmed hearts on a chilly Canadian evening. They married in 1953, and even before having their sons Steve, John, and Chris, they had cats.

Fred passed away suddenly in 1984, leaving Audrey to find comfort in her feline soulmate, Max. If Audrey had found a genie’s lamp, she would have only needed two wishes: for Fred and Max to have been by her side until the end.

Audrey filled her days travelling & exploring the world with her good friend, Audrey Kowal, and putting her nursing background to use. She was particularly proud of the families her sons built: Steve with Pam, John with Simone, and Chris with Heather. Audrey loved her 7 grandchildren and was blessed to have met all three of her great-grandchildren.

As Audrey entered the last of her nine lives, she became more cat like herself. Her afternoons were best spent napping in a sunbeam, comfortable in her chair with the Raptors or Leafs on TV. And just like a cat, the food was never quite to her liking.

Audrey went to join her beloved Fred and Max on October 21, 2023. She will be sorely missed by the family and friends left behind, but she would want us all to remember; time with cats is never wasted.

In living memory of Audrey Orton, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Fish Creek, 14441 Bannister Road SE, Calgary, Ab t2x 3j3, Telephone: 403-256-9575.