Audrey E Schwartzman

January 30, 1943 - November 22, 2023

Audrey Ellen Schwartzman died peacefully in her sleep in the early hours of November 22, 2023, at her home in Monmouth Beach, NJ. Audrey was born on January 30, 1943, in New York City. She moved to Allenhurst, NJ, where she lived for over 50 years. She graduated from Asbury Park High School and completed a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences at Upsala College. After graduation, Audrey began working for the Monmouth County Division of Social Services and remained a valued employee for over 40 years. She was a member of Congregation Torat El at the time of her passing and a lifelong member of Hadassah.

Audrey was born with Cerebral Palsy due to a Rh blood disorder, which at the time was death or cognitive and physical disabilities for surviving newborns. Her parents, Bill and Gladys, were determined she would live an everyday life and mainstreamed her schooling, activities, and summer camps during a time when society did not readily accept accommodations and tolerance for people who were not cognitively or physically normative. Audrey’s CP impacted some of her speech, hearing, and mobility, which could make some people misjudge her intelligence and capacity. Audrey developed lifelong friendships, had romantic relationships, traveled throughout the Americas, Europe, and Israel, and later in life, with her dear companion on cruises to the Caribbean and Pacific Islands. She had a sharp mind and a great sense of humor. She was an avid reader, loved movies, was an accomplished amateur artist specializing in charcoal and pastels, and visited museums and galleries frequently during her travels worldwide. While visiting Mexico City in the 1980s, she was exposed to the life and work of Frida Kahlo, who became Audrey’s inspiration never to be limited by physical impairments or others’ perceptions of ability or worth. Audrey was close with her large, loving, extended family, who ensured she was cared for until her passing.

Audrey is preceded in death by her parents, Isadore W. Schwartzman and Gladys Schwartzman (nee Streifler), and her older brother, Matthew (Martin) Schwartzman of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Audrey is survived by her dedicated niece and nephew-in-law, Sarah (Schwartzman) and Peter Palermo, and their children, Charles and Tessa, who currently live in St. Louis, and many, many cousins throughout Monmouth County and beyond her beloved Jersey Shore.

Services will be held on Sunday, December 3, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. at Bloomfield-Cooper Jewish Chapels, 2130 Hwy. 35, Ocean, NJ 07712, with a private burial at the gravesite for the family. The family will welcome guests to the Channel Club Towers Club Room, 1Channel Drive, Monmouth Beach, NJ 07750, from 5-7 p.m.

In lieu of flowers or food, contributions may be made in her memory to Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central, and Southern New Jersey or the Cerebral Palsy Foundation.