Audrey Alice Morrow, dynamic Malverne volunteer, dies at 93

Audrey Alice Morrow, an active civic leader in Malverne for over 60 years, died Sunday, Oct. 25. She was 93 years old and lived most of her life in the village.

Born Feb. 16, 1922 to Mabel and Charlie Steele, who raised her in Lynbrook, Morrow moved to Malverne when she married Stewart Morrow, who later became a three-term mayor in Malverne from 1974-1986.

Her lifetime of service to her community began in 1952, when she joined Malverne American Legion Auxiliary Unit 44 as a support to her husband, who was commander of Post 44 that year. She didn’t realize it at the time, but Morrow had begun her life as a civic leader through her membership in the Auxiliary, which she continued until her death over six decades later. She became the unit’s recording secretary in 1956 and has held that office continuously since then. In 2006 she was honored at a surprise testimonial dinner recognizing her 50 years of service in that capacity. In recent years, Morrow was honored with a life membership in the unit, one of the few members to be so honored.

More than 30 years ago, though she had never served as the unit’s president, Morrow was designated a past president because she had been the “right arm” of so many presidents over the years. When the unit celebrated its 80th anniversary, Morrow was on the committee for the anniversary banquet and obtained many of the ads that appeared in the commemorative journal. She marched with her unit in Malverne’s Memorial Day parade for 50 consecutive years, until she was 85, when she rode in the parade — one of the very few concessions she has made to age.

By no means has Morrow’s involvement been limited to the Auxiliary. She became a member of the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Malverne Public Library in 1962, and has served as recording secretary continuously for decades. She served for a number of years as recording secretary of the Women’s Club of Malverne, which honored her over 10 years ago when she became the first member of the club to reach 80. "She was the oldest active member of every organization to which she belonged," said her son, the Rev. Michael Morrow.