Hanrahan, Audrey Merle, Truro. It is with heavy hearts we announce the death of our Mother on Wednesday May 16, 2012 from a short battle with bone cancer. She was surrounded by the love of her family at the Colchester Regional Hospital. Born in Toronto she was the third eldest daughter of four to Maurice and Freda Jones. It was there where she began to fulfill her passion for the arts and graduated from the Danforth Technical School and later at the Institute of Technology in NB. After moving to Nova Scotia in 1951, she started her family while living in Purcel’s Cove and later moved to Truro with then husband Terry Hanrahan. Audrey became very active in her community and quickly made many lifelong friends through CWL, Truro Curling Club, and arts organizations. She was a charter member of the Truro Arts Society and Cobequid Arts Council, member of the Board for Visual Arts NS and the Art Gallery of NS and member of the Attic Painters and Painters Palette. Locally, Audrey petitioned for the development of an arts centre for the Truro area and later became a keen shareholder and volunteer with the Marigold Cultural Centre in Truro. She enjoyed her many games of bridge with her wonderful friends and her Thursday “lunch bunch” – you brought laughter and joy to her life! She was a strong advocate for arts education at many different levels in Truro and across the province and truly believed that people are not born with talent and that creativity is learned and perfected with practice. Audrey enjoyed her career teaching Commercial Art at the Vocational School in Truro for 21 years, and her joy of painting through classes offered to children and adults throughout her life. She would recall her students over the years as dear friends. At her death her children are left wondering how exactly she found the time to do all the things she did in addition to raising her family. Throughout her life she embraced the practice of lifelong learning and to this day continued to take courses and workshops to support her growth as a person, artist, teacher and community member. At the age of 55 Audrey studied for a year at the NS School of Art and Design and brought back to her classroom new techniques, ideas and perspectives. She is predeceased by her mother and father, sister Dorothy (Swanton), granddaughter Celine (Hanrahan) and is survived by her children, Sharon, Holly (Irons), Tim, Tom, Ed and Anne (Derrick) Perigo; grandchildren, Naomi, Cindy, Ruben, Robyn, Annie, Marta, Lee, Mason, Ryan and Daniel and extended Jordan (Merry); great grandchildren Maryn, Noah, Megan, Hannah, Yula and Elise. The family want to sincerely thank the wonderful nurses and staff on 4 East of the Colchester East Hants Regional Hospital and Dickson Centre, Halifax along with Dr Courtney Smith and Dr Slawa Cwajna for their expertise, sincerity and compassion. We especially want to thank Dr Robert Graham for his friendship, guidance and care of our Mother over the years. A celebration of Audrey’s life will take place at 2:00 PM, May 20, 2012 at the Colchester Community Funeral Home, 512 Willow Street, Truro with visitation 7:00 – 9:00 PM, May 19, 2012. On-line condolences may be made at www.colchestercommunity.com Family flowers only and in lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Cobequid Arts Council (Marigold Cultural Centre, Arts Education Programs) or the Colchester East Hants Hospice Society.