Audrey Settle

1948 - 2024

Audrey Settle

February 2, 1948 - September 25, 2024

Audrey Dixon Settle, esteemed businesswoman, community leader, and philanthropist, passed from this life September 25, 2024, in Virginia Beach, VA.

Audrey was born February 2, 1948, to Roy Lee and Eddythe Mae Dixon in Detroit, MI. She was their middle child, between older sister Gwendolyn and their brother Lloyd. Her exceptionalism was evident very early. Audrey left Detroit at 15 to attend Keuka College in upstate New York on an academic scholarship. She earned an MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University and began her professional career working in financial services in Boston and on Wall Street.

Audrey went on to work at Philip Morris USA where she was a quiet trailblazer as the first Black woman to hold executive positions in both New York and Richmond. She is remembered for her work ethic and, more impactfully, for her commitment to mentoring others.

In 1998, Audrey retired and married the love of her life, Dr. John E. Settle Jr. Through this union, she welcomed three stepchildren, John III, Hope, and Angela. Audrey and John traveled the world together visiting more than 100 countries and every continent. In addition to their love of travel, they shared their love for family, friends, community, education, art, and tennis.

Nothing was more important to Audrey than family and friends. She loved to entertain and was an exceptional hostess. She easily made new friends and built and expanded her friend groups.

Audrey was also passionate about helping others. She established the Dixon-Settle Fund for Women at the Hampton Roads Community Foundation in honor of her mother, who devoted her life to addressing women's issues. Audrey's and John's financial support for education include John and Audrey Settle Scholarships at Keuka College, Penn State, and Tuskegee University. They established a John and Audrey Settle Scholarship at the ACCESS College Foundation, and Audrey created the Dr. John E. Settle Scholarship after his passing.

Audrey's philanthropic support included social justice initiatives: the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Equal Justice Initiative, ACLU Virginia Foundation, Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center, Visionaries for Change, and the YWCA.

She loved and understood art as a different expression of the human condition. She not only surrounded herself with art that spoke to her, but she also supported by giving her time and sharing her treasure with the museums that housed the art. Among the beneficiaries were the Chrysler Museum of Fine Art and the Virginia Museum of Fine Art.

Audrey's parents, sister, Gwendolyn Dixon West, and husband, Dr. John E. Settle Jr. predeceased her. She is survived by a brother, Lloyd Dixon (Debra); niece, Shannon West (son Jordan); nephew, Miles West; children, John Settle III (Mary Kate), Hope Settle, and Angela Settle; grandchildren, J. Aedan Settle and Raven Maier; and cousins, Ovetta Williams, Mary Thomas, Dorothy Scott, and Ida Larkins.

Audrey's greatest legacy is that she brought people together and provided an example of how to live life to the fullest. She will be missed but never forgotten by the many beneficiaries of her hospitality, friendship, and philanthropy.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the Audrey and John Settle Scholarship Fund at the ACCESS College Foundation, 7300 Newport Avenue, Suite 500, Norfolk, VA, 23505 or www.accesscollege.org/give/

All family and friends are invited to continue this celebration of Audrey's life at a memorial service and reception at the Princess Anne Country Club, 3800 Pacific Ave., VA, on Friday, October 11, at 1 p.m. Condolences may be left for Audrey's family below.

Altmeyer Funeral Home

5033 Rouse Drive Virginia Beach, VA 23462