Audre Suggs Obituary

Audre Lynne Suggs, formerly of Lawrence, Kansas, passed away surrounded by her family on August 22, 2023, in Visalia, California, from complications of primary progressive aphasia.

Lynne, as she was commonly known, was born on April 20, 1941, in Bell, California, the first-born child of Dorothy and Floyd Whitehorn. The family moved to Bakersfield, California, in the 1950s. Lynne graduated from Bakersfield High School in 1959. She also received a bachelor's degree from Fresno State at their former extension in Bakersfield.

Lynne met her husband, Ron Suggs, in the fall of 1959 while both attended Bakersfield College. They were married on February 16, 1962, in Bakersfield.

During their marriage, Ron and Lynne lived in Bakersfield, Boulder, Colorado; Columbus, Nebraska; Lawrence, Kansas; Sacramento and Delano, California. However, they spent most of their marriage living in Visalia. Off and on they lived in Visalia for over 40 years.

Lynne was an elementary school teacher for over 20 years, where she taught in Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, and California. She taught for many years in the Visalia Unified School District, primarily at Ivanhoe School.

She is survived by her husband of 61 years, Ron of Visalia. She is also survived by her three children, Jeff (Coleen) and Steve (Lisa) of Visalia, and Matt (Feloniz) of Lawrence, Kansas. She is survived by her brothers, Tony Whitehorn (Jacque) of Gilbert, Arizona, and David Whitehorn (Silvia) of Tempe, Arizona. She also leaves six grandchildren (Scotty, Taylor, Erin, Hannah, Sam, and Isabel) and one great-grandchild (Jackson). Lynne's survivors also include her sister-in-law, Carolyn Smith (Gary) of Visalia and her cousin, Ray Barnett (Lynne) of Wilmington, North Carolina. She was preceded in death by her parents, Floyd and Dorothy, and her brother, Greg Whitehorn.

Lynne was the matriarch of her family and was loved by her family and her many friends. We will miss her.

A celebration of life will be held at the First Presbyterian Church in Visalia, 215 N. Locust Street, on October 14, 2023, at 1 p.m.