Obituaries

Audrey D. Cecil, 75, passed away on January 17, 2023. Funeral services will begin with visitation on Friday, January 27th from 5-8 p.m. at New Zion Baptist Church, 1501 Louis Coleman Jr. Drive. Funeral service will be 10 am Saturday with entombment in Evergreen Cemetery.  Audrey, leaves to cherish her memory her children Tabette E. Cecil “Tabby”, Harold Lee, III “Dude” (LaTosha), and Robert D. “Danny” (Hannah); brother, Fred Michael Reed; four grandchildren, Markese, Lavon, Montanna, and Katherine; six great-grandchildren; two sister-cousins, Cheryl Rene Foster (Allen) and JoAnn Peacock Jackson; and innumerable nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends.

Audrey Doris Reed was born in Louisville, KY on August 22, 1947, as the oldest child of the late Edward and Ida Mae Reed. She was baptized at the age of nine at the Elim Baptist Church under Rev. W.F. Fisher. She graduated from Louisville Male High in 1965 and went on to major in English and Creative Writing at the University of Louisville.

While studying at University of Louisville she met and married Harold Lee Cecil, Jr. December 15, 1967, they were married for 47 wonderful years until his homegoing on February 19, 2015. Together they had three children, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

For over twenty-eight years, from 1977-2004, she was the owner and manager of a laundry and drycleaning business called “Family Cleaning Center.”  Over the course of those 27 years, she owned four locations on Market Street committed to serving the West End community.

She was an active member of the Deacons Wives and Widows Organization of Louisville, Kentucky and Vicinity for many years and was honored to serve as their President from 2005-2006.

Her creative writing skills lead her to create, author, and edit several publications for different organizations throughout her life.  “The Elim Oasis” for Elim Baptist Church, “The Upper Chat Room” for the Deacon Wives and Widows Council, and “The Lazarus Gazette” for Greater New Bethany MBC.

For over 50 years she was an active and dedicated member of Elim Baptist Church. There, because of her love of music and vocal talents, she was a member of the Jr. Choir, Young Adult Choir, Sr. Choir, and Sisterhood Chorus.  She also served as president of both the Missionary Society and B.T.U.   Her service to the Lord at Elim also included Sunday School Superintendent, Vacation Bible School Teacher, and a member of the Usher Board.

In 2003 she moved her membership to Greater New Bethany Baptist Church under pastorage the late Hezzy M. Jewell, Sr.   At GNBMBC she was a member of the Sanctuary Choir, a Vacation Bible School Teacher, and Sunday School Teacher. She also taught several seminars at Greater New Bethany.

Called to the preaching ministry, she was licensed in 2004 and ordained in 2009. She served as a devout Associate Minister at Greater New Bethany Missionary Baptist Church until she was called to her final reward on January 17, 2023.