Audrey Cramer

1941 - 2021

CRAMER, Audrey

On January 12, 2021 Audrey Cramer passed away at the age of 79 from Covid pneumonia. Audrey was a loving wife, proud mother of three children, and joyful grandmother of four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Audrey was born on August 15, 1941 in New Brunswick, NJ, to Max and Pauline Lukacs. She was the youngest of three children. When she was a young girl, her family moved to Tucson, Arizona. She attended Jefferson Park Elementary School, Mansfeld Junior High and Tucson High School.

She met Kurt Cramer the way a lot of young Tucsonans did in the 50's: On a typical night, they were out driving down Speedway "cruising". Kurt stopped in at Marco's Drive-In and saw his friend Ellen who introduced him to Audrey. They fell in love and were married in 1958. During their first years of marriage, Audrey and Kurt lived in Tombstone and Gila Bend while Kurt worked with Bell Aerosystems, making lifelong friends during this time.

In 1966, Kurt and Audrey and the boys settled back in Tucson. Shortly thereafter, Kurt started working for Kitt Peak National Observatory, where Audrey ran the Observatory Gift Shop, Audrey also volunteered for many activities including numerous and various sports car events, organizing and running races, rallies, slaloms and auto-crosses around the state for decades. She and Kurt were the 3rd and 4th Lifetime Members inducted in Tucson's Porsche Club. Audrey also ran registration and was a scorer for the many different car shows in town, especially the yearly event for Cinco de Mayo.

Audrey's strength and resiliency prepared her for the true grit needed to raise three boys. As the boys grew older, she enthusiastically attended high school football and basketball games, hosted AFS exchange students (gaining "daughter" Susan from Germany as a lifelong family member), and attended every University of Arizona basketball home game she could from the opening of McKale until the early 2000's.

Audrey was always "The Mom"—to her children, their friends, and to her friends. You could always count on her to be there for you and to defend you. She was part American mom and part Jewish mother—always a bed to sleep in if you needed it, an ear if you needed to talk and anyone was welcome at her table.

As a friend, wife, and mom she was loyal, and she was forgiving. She loved her family unconditionally and she was so very proud of all of their accomplishments. A down-to-earth woman with a generous heart, she will be forever missed by her family and friends.

Audrey was preceded in death by her father and mother, Max and Pauline and her brothers, Saul and Robert.

She is survived by her husband, Kurt Cramer; her three children, Karl (Kim), Kent (Norma) and Kit (Cathleen); her four grandchildren, Jay (Heather), Devin, Chase and Aidan and her two great-grandchildren, Allie and Jaina.

Due to the pandemic, a private service was held with close family. In lieu of flowers, donations can be directed to the Tucson Community Foodbank. Arrangements by ANGEL VALLEY FUNERAL HOME.