Audrey Mae Derks, 80, of Houston, Texas passed away on Friday, February 17th, 2023.

Audrey was born on Halloween day in 1942 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania to Bette and Robert Follette.  She grew up a "military brat" and moved around often during her childhood. She moved to Houston in the late 1960s with her son and married in 1970 and had two daughters.  One thing that most people knew about Audrey is that she loved to tell stories of her childhood and shared her wisdom through her stories.  She loved to sit and talk with friends and family and loved sharing her experiences with those she loved.

Starting in her early 20s, she bartended and worked as a cocktail waitress and bartended all the way into her 70's. A bartender and cocktail waitress who always had a story to tell.  It suited her.  She also owned and operated a dog grooming company and kennel in the 1980s where she found her love of dogs and our family was never without a dog and at times, we had many!

She was an avid coffee drinker and loved to read romance and mystery novels. There was rarely a time when she did not have a cup of coffee or a book in her hand; sometimes both and she's never wasted a cup of coffee unless she misplaced it!  She loved watching movies on the Hallmark Channel and was a huge fan of actor, Sam Elliott.

If you met Audrey for the first time, she would treat you as if she had known you for years. She was genuine and had an infectious laugh, one that will definitely be missed.

She is survived by her daughters, Barbara and Cynthia; her son, Raymond; her brothers, George and Juan; her granddaughter, Brittany and great granddaughters, Joanna and Zoey.

Her care has been entrusted to Claire Brothers Funeral Home, 7901 Hilllcroft Street, Houston, Texas 77081.