Audrey Sharpe Talbott

AUDREY SHARPE TALBOTT Born in Boston, Massachusetts on October 8th, 1918, died of natural causes at her home in Carmel Valley on September 6th, 2004. A resident of Carmel and Carmel Valley for 54 years, she became chairman of the board of Robert Talbott Inc., after her husband's death in 1986. Robert Talbott Inc is a well known Monterey Peninsula company. She, along with her late husband, Robert F. Talbott, founded the company in Carmel on October 8th, 1950. Robert and Audrey Talbott were married in 1945 in New York City, where they met while she worked as a buyer and a model for Halle Brothers in Cleveland, Ohio. They spent part of their honeymoon in Carmel. When they began, the two of them were the only employees of their small bow tie manufacturing company. Audrey made the bow ties by hand and her husband was the salesman. The small company grew very slowly, adding employees a few at a time. In 1958 the Talbott's opened their first retail store on Ocean Avenue in Carmel. In 1972 the company merged all manufacturing and operations into its present location at 2901 Monterey Salinas Highway. Today the company employees 300 people and markets men's and women's products to locations all over north America. Talbott Vineyards, started by the Talbotts' son Robert in 1981, is a world class producer of Monterey County wines. Additionally, Audrey Talbott served on the board of directors of Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula from 1993 until 1999. Mrs. T-, as she was lovingly referred to by family, friends, and employees, is survived by her son Robert S. Talbott, daughter-in-law Cynthia Talbott, and grandchildren Sarah, Logan and Kalin Talbott, all of Carmel Valley. A private memorial for family will be held at a later date. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to the Audrey S. Talbott Foundation, a charitable trust supporting educational causes. Donations may be sent to the following address: Audrey S. Talbott Foundation C/O Robert Talbott, Inc. 2901 Monterey-Salinas Highway Monterey, California 93940