Audrey J. Jarvis (1923-2011)

Obituary
Audrey J. Brown Atkins

February 3, 1923 - January 22, 2011

Audrey J. Brown Atkins, retired managing editor of The Citizen Register passed away Saturday January 22, 2011 at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in Bronx, NY. She lived in Crugers, NY and was formerly of Ossining and Yonkers.

In November 1966, she became the first woman city editor with Gannett Newspapers in Westchester and in the early 70's she also was managing editor of the Tarrytown Daily News. Her newspaper career began in 1944 after graduation from Sarah Lawrence College, where she had been editor of the school newspaper and later returned to conduct a journalism workshop. She began as a reporter for The Herald Statesman, Yonkers, and was later woman's page editor, religion page editor and columnist, a general news assignment reporter and a copy editor. She often remembered the day the late William fanning, president of the former Westchester County Publishers, forerunner to the Gannett Suburban Newspapers, said as she was editing copy, "I like to see a woman on the copy desk." Not long after, Fanning and her editor, the late Oxie Reichler, asked her to become city editor of The Citizen Register. She moved from her Native Yonkers to Ossining in 1967 and retired in 1986.

Audrey Jarvis was born on February 3, 1923 in Yonkers, NY to Bertram and Agnes Hepenstal Jarvis. She was a graduate of Gorton High School, Yonkers, and in 1949 she married Kenneth W Brown Jr. He died in 1982 and in 1991 she married Howard D. Atkins and lived in Oakland, N.J. until his death in 1993.

While at The Herald Statesman she received numerous awards, including recognition from the New York State Editors Association and in the mid 60's was one of the first Protestant to receive a Catholic Youth Organization award at St. Patrick's cathedral. She often recalled thinking, on her first trip to Ossining to become the City editor, "what am I doing taking a man's job." She later regretted that kind of thinking, but in that period only men held editorships or copy desk positions. One of her fellow newspersons, a social page editor, called her "the door opener." Within a year or so, other women were advanced to editor positions.

As newspapering filled her life, so did her children Jennifer and Jeffrey, and a long list of community involvements. In recent years, she devoted much of her time to her church, Trinity Episcopal Church, Ossining, where she a lay reader, member of the Vestry, planning committee, annual fair committee and was a communications chair. She was elected Warden in 1988.

She was an officer of the Ossining Woman's Club, and a board member of the Ossining Food Pantry, where she volunteered each Friday morning. She also was involved in the Ossining Agencies Council and a former trustee of the Ossining Historical Society, past board member of the friends of Music and past president of the Ossining Business and Professional women's Club. She previously served nine years on the board of the Greater Ossining Chamber of Commerce; was a founding director of the former Greater Ossining Arts Council, a member of the Better Schools Committee, member of the Bethel Home Community Advisory Council; editor of the Village of Ossining's 175th anniversary journal in 1988, and for a time edited the Phelps Memorial Hospital Center Hospice newsletter.

She was a former member and first woman member of the New York State Editors Association, Sigma Delta Chi, and professional journalist organization. During her years in Yonkers, she was president of the Junior Soroptimist Club of Hudson Valley.

Retiring after 40 years in the news room, she remained associated with Gannett until 1991 as a consultant for the community relations department, representing the newspaper at various county functions and working on special projects. She later worked on the screening and grants operations of Gannett's Lend - A - Hand, one time only emergency assistance program.

As an editor, she taught spelling and sentence structure, abhorred dangling participles and was a self described nit-picker.

Besides words and family, the love of her life was music - Classical, jazz, blues and swing of the Big Band Era. She played the piano and enjoyed reading, gardening, knitting and granddaughters.

Surviving are daughter Jennifer Volpacchio of Cortlandt manor, a son, Jeffrey Brown of Tarrytown, director of the Westchester School of Guitar in Briarcliff and three granddaughters Julianne, Valerie and Monica Volpacchio of Cortlandt Manor. Her sister Helen J Ostrander died in 2004.

Visiting hours will be held on Thursday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM at Dorsey Funeral Home. The funeral services will be held on Friday at 10:00 AM at Trinity Episcopal Church, 7 So. Highland Ave., Ossining, NY 10562. The interment will be held privately at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.

In lieu of flowers donations to Trinity Episcopal Church, 7 South Highland Ave., Ossining, NY 10562 would be appreciated.