Audrey R. Linge-Ovel

Audrey Reggentin Linge – Ovel, 75, died Thursday, November 13, 2008, at Mercy Medical Center following a short illness. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11 AM Monday in Westminster Presbyterian Church with Dr. Herbert Isenberg officiating. Private entombment will follow at Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories Mausoleum. Friends may call at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home from 2 to 5 PM on Sunday and at the church after 10 AM on Monday. A reception will be held at the Cedar Rapids Country Club following the service. Survivors include her husband Jerry, her children, Dan (Beth) of Olivenhain, California, Lisa (Mike) McGrath, and John (Dina) Linge, both of Cedar Rapids, her brother Steve (Sue) Reggentin of Tucson, Arizona, her sister Sue (Barry) Bauman of Sun Lakes, Arizona, two step sons Steve (Sue) Ovel, Scott Ovel, and a step-daughter Barbara Lemon all of Cedar Rapids, seven grandchildren, Jared and McKenna Linge, Murphy, Griffin, and Tucker McGrath, and Drew and Clay Linge, step grandchildren Chad and Ryan Ovel, Melissa and Jennifer Lemon, Zach and Stacey Ovel, six great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband David E. Linge, and her brother Richard. Audrey was born June 19, 1933 in Belle Plaine, Iowa to Harry and Elna Blankenship Reggentin. She married David E. Linge on April 2, 1955. David died August 7, 1988 1988. She then married Jerry Ovel on February 25, 1990 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Audrey always said she was blessed to have married two great men. After graduating from Roosevelt High School, she attended both Coe College and the University of Iowa where she studied writing. As a young wife and mother, she became involved in Junior League where she eventually became editor of the Junior League magazine, Legally Speaking. Audrey was Chairperson of the Board at Cedar Memorial Park. She dearly loved her Cedar Rapids community. She expressed this love in so many unique and meaningful ways. She believed it was her duty to give back to her community that had provided her with so much opportunity and happiness. Audrey was an endless supporter of Theater Cedar Rapids sponsoring the Linge Series and most notably, providing the gift of the Iowa Theater Building upon the death of her first husband David. Her gift of the building not only provided a new home for our talented community theater but also provided endowment dollars for the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra. She was lifetime trustee at Waypoint and was passionate about Waypoint’s mission of caring for women and children. She also provided the new swimming pool for Camp Tanager. She supported Planned Parenthood, Old McDonald’s Farm at Bever Park, Coe and Mount Mercy scholarships and many other community minded projects and services. Her heartfelt benevolence was recently recognized as she was awarded the Philanthropist of the Year of Eastern Iowa. Her love of our community and its people also manifested itself in a role she played for the children of the Cedar Rapids area: Playtime Poppy – “the happy little ear of corn.� One of her proudest moments was being crowned Miss Cedar Rapids in 1954 and then becoming first runner up at the Miss Iowa pageant. She enjoyed her cottage at Guttenberg, her pool time at the Cedar Rapids Country Club, skiing with her family at Keystone and traveling all over the world. Audrey was true lover of life and a dear friend to many people. She was most happy when she was giving of herself. Memorial contributions may be made in Audrey’s memory to the Endowment Fund at Theater Cedar Rapids, 102 3rd Street SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Please leave a memory, message or tribute to the Linge-Ovel family on our web page, www.cedarmemorial.com under Obituaries.