Audrey Titzel Ekstrom

Audrey was born September 26, 1936 in Seattle, Washington to Margaret and Howard Titzel of Westport, WA. They soon moved to the town of Bellingham, WA where Audrey went to school until she was in the 9th grade. That year the family moved to the town of Hoquiam, WA so that her mother could assist with the settling of the estate Audrey’s beloved Grandad Cuyler. From there, the family continued moving around the Puget Sound area in support of her father’s job as a radio operator for the Civil Aeronautics Administration.

After graduating from Highline HS, of Burien WA in 1954, Audrey worked as a secretary for Boeing in Seattle. She worked for a year before deciding to enroll at Washington State University where she joined the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. Besides her studies, Audrey spent her college years waiting and preparing for her wedding to her beloved Bert while he was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. In 1957 they were married in Seattle and moved to Santa Ana, CA.

Audrey worked as a secretary for EECO while her husband Bert worked for the Santa Ana Police Department. They moved to Huntington Beach in 1962 and stayed 59 years in that newly built house until 2021 when they made the choice to move to the Reata Glen Retirement Community. Audrey was an active stay-at-home mother while raising her two children Cindy and Dale. She shepherded and chauffeured them through Girls Scouts, Rainbow Girls, Boy Scouts and DeMolay. While working with the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls she served as a Mother Advisor, a Grand Deputy and a member of the Grand Executive Committee, influencing many young women to strive to do their best.

In retirement, Audrey traveled the world with Bert, setting their “four itchy feet” on six continents. Her secretarial skills served her well when the home computer revolution hit, she was very proficient with her cooking newsgroups and her “lurking” on social media. She thoroughly enjoyed the wine club, the beading club and her dinner groups at Reata Glen.

Audrey was preceded in death by her parents, her younger sister Elizabeth Titzel Henderson and her husband Bert Ekstrom. She is survived by her brother Howard Titzel, her daughter Cindy Shulstad, her son Dale Ekstrom, her granddaughter Jen Lawrence, her granddaughter Tiffany Sharrar and her great-grandchildren Jamie Lawrence and Gavin Lawrence.

A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at 1:00 PM at Harbor Lawn Mortuary Chapel, located at 1625 Gisler Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 to be officiated by Pastor Randy Hill. A reception is to follow immediately after the service. We ask for guest to please wear pink in honor of Audrey.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Shriners Children's Hospital.