Audrey Hubbard Larkins

Audrey Amelia Gillespie was born on February 15, 1931 in Williamson, West Virginia. She was the youngest of four children born to Paul and Elma Gillespie. She grew into a joyous and fiesty young woman who married Harry M. Lerch Jr. in 1950 and had three wonderful sons that were raised in Silver Spring, Maryland. After suffering the death of her first love in 1963, and being a single mother for several years, she married John David Hubbard in 1967. They were later blessed with the birth of their beautiful daughter. It was in 1978 that the family moved from Maryland to the Wekiva Springs area in Central Florida and became very active members at First Baptist Sweetwater. In 1984, Audrey suffered the death of her second great love. She was a faithful single mother and grandmother again for the next 13 years, until meeting and marrying Dorsel Larkins in 1997. In 2004, she suffered the hardest loss of all when her son, Greg, passed away.

Audrey's life is one marked by devotion. She was first and foremost devoted to Jesus Christ, whom she trusted to be her Savior when she was a young girl. It was through her many times of personal loss that she learned deep and more profound dependence upon the grace and strength of her Lord. One of her greatest joys was evangelism – she took every opportunity to tell others about how Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave to save sinners. She was also a devoted wife, mother and grandmother, who loved to cook, to play with her kids and grandkids, enjoyed frequent trips to the beach, and always looked forward to family gatherings, reunions, and holidays. She was likewise devoted to her church, First Baptist Sweetwater, where she served for decades in numerous outreach ministries, as an assistant cook for Wednesday night suppers, and as a preschool teacher in the Mother's Day Out program. She additionally served as a crossing guard for over two decades with the Seminole County Sheriff's Department.

Audrey passed into the arms of her Lord on November 8, 2025 in Montgomery, Alabama under the care of her daughter. She was 94 years old. She was preceded in death by her parents, her three older siblings (Carol, David, and Norma), her first husband, Harry M. Lerch Jr., her second husband, John David Hubbard, and her middle son, Gregory Lerch (Karen). She is survived by her husband, Dorsel Larkins (known affectionately as “Pop Pop”), her sons Tripp Lerch (Sharon) and David Lerch, and her daughter Lisa Merithew (Shawn). She is also survived by 15 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren who proudly refer to her as “Yia Yia.”

Audrey's Celebration of Life service will be held at First Baptist Sweetwater (Longwood, FL) on Saturday, November 15 with visitation at 2:00pm, service at 3:00pm, and burial immediately following at the Highland Memory Gardens cemetery. Her service will be officiated by her son-in-law, Shawn Merithew. Her grandsons John, Christopher, Joshua, Jacob, John David, and Josiah will serve as pall bearers. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Global Missions Fund of Morningview Baptist Church, 125 Calhoun Road, Montgomery, Alabama, 36109.