Audrey Petersen was “the person you wanted.” Domestic violence took her life

Audrey Petersen’s daughters were able to feel the presence of their mothers by sorting manicure and cupboard craft supplies and drawer boxes with too many first aid kits. They sifted through piles of self-help books and greeting cards at every opportunity and laughed. They removed sticky notes she held on the walls and cabinets, reminding her of birthdays and weddings that she would not attend.

Petersen passed away on February 9, 2024 at the age of 61. She was one of dozens of domestic violence victims in Florida last year.

Born in Prince George County, Maryland in 1962, Petersen kept a house straight from a sitcom in the 2000s. Family photos feature fridges, inspirational signs, seasonal flowers and baked goods scents all over the room.

It was where you wanted to be, her loved one said, and she was the person you wanted.

On Thanksgiving, she lost and opened the door – anyone who needs a place to go. One winter evening, her three daughters remember, she noticed that the bees were struggling with cold temperatures. She took it inside and rode the cold. Her compassion for the creature placed her youngest daughter, Kelly, 29, on the path to veterinary school.

Later in her career as a nurse at Johns Hopkins All Children Hospital in St. Petersburg, Petersen was heavily responsible for coordinating patient care. She never forgot the patient’s birthday or the pet’s name. Her boss said she was a dedicated advocate for “her children.” It was not uncommon for patients to return to just to see her when they were discharged.

She found joy in a butterfly in her backyard, a taco in her bag, and danced to Elton John. She carved out the time for the weekly girl’s evenings for dinner and drinks. Even though she was sewing her homemade Halloween costumes and baking monkey bread in a camp oven equipped with cardboard and foils, Petersen shared her creativity with her daughter. She could make anything from glue guns and popsicle sticks, they said. Her eldest son, Jen, 37, had no idea that box cake mixes existed from adulthood to several years, as her mom only baked from scratch. Her middle daughter, Michelle, 33, holds cross-stitch Christmas ornaments and wreaths from her mother, making her better than anything in the store.

Petersen was stubbornly entrenched in her beliefs, but not afraid to speak when something is unfair, but she was also known for her belly laughter, which lives in her daughter.