Audrey Antoinette Totaro

Audrey Totaro

Audrey Antoinette (Kokrine) Totaro, 63, died at home June 15, 2007, surrounded by loving family and friends.

Born March 21, 1944, Audrey grew up in Fairbanks with her parents, Richard and Ruth (Mayo) Thibedeau.

Audrey attended Fairbanks schools and graduated from Fairbanks (Lathrop) High School in 1962. Meeting a young soldier from Fort Wainwright, Audrey married Lawrence Totaro in 1963 and moved to an apartment in the Bronx, New York City, in 1964 with her first-born, Larry, in tow. A second son, Joseph, was born in 1967, and in 1972, the family moved to Long Island, where Medford became their home.

Audrey loved being a very supportive mother and wife and could always be seen keeping things together. She helped out at school functions and served as president of the Eagle Drive PTA and den leader of Pack 209 Cub Scouts.

Soon after moving to Medford, Audrey's compassionate and generous side blossomed. She opened her house to become an emergency foster care parent for children in need of immediate placement. Although the placement was supposed to last a few days, many went on to stay for months and even years. Through this, she has many more daughters and sons.

A testament to her generosity is that until her death many still kept in touch and remained an active part of her life. A few of those whose lives she touched included Holly Allen, Scott (Felix) Ryes, Ruth Ann Ryerson, George Babel and many more.

Stories of Audrey's amazing outpouring of love can be witnessed by all who came in contact with her. Everyone has their favorite Audrey story or two or three.

Audrey's interests were varied. She enjoyed all the birds that would visit her beautiful yard where she had a number of plants that she tended and feeders that she kept full.

She was a wonderful hostess and looked forward to annual pool parties at her home or joining friends for dancing and music at Eleanor's and other spots on the island.

Audrey was proud of her Koyukon Athabascan heritage and was a member of Doyon Native Corporation. She loved the tastes of home and getting salmon strips from Rampart.

She attended Suffolk County Community College, where she earned an associate's degree and was a member of the Pi Alpha Sigma Honor Society. Audrey worked in the family business doing bookkeeping and went on to begin her career at the Internal Revenue Service, where she received meritorious honor for 23 years of public service. At her retirement, she was presented with the Albert Gallatin Award.

Audrey loved to travel and was happy to have visited 47 states, especially trips home to Alaska and in recent years to Hawaii, Florida and cruises to other warmer climates.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Ruth; brothers Marvin Kokrine and James Thibedeau; and sisters Gail Kokrine and Maxine Thibedeau.

She is lovingly survived by sons Lawrence (Helen) and Joseph (Renee) and grandsons, Lawrence and Zachary; father, Richard Thibedeau (now deceased); siblings, Charlotte (Jay) Broussard, Richard (Faye) Thibedeau, Fred Thibedeau, Jane (Bruce) Cosgrove, Rick Thibedeau, John Thibedeau, Beverly Sourapas, and Don Thibedeau and a large extended family.

She also leaves to cherish her memory many treasured friends who looked to her as the one who kept them all connected, made sure that everyone was included and having a good time and welcomed them as family.

One person who made a huge impact in her happiness during her final years was John Faracco. Being her soulmate and accompanying her through her many travels and travails, he has earned a spot as one of the family.

Final services for Audrey will be July 3rd at 3 p.m., when she will be buried next to her dad at Birch Hill Cemetery. The family will be gathering at Beverly's home on 22nd Avenue.