Audrey C. Aarhus

Audrey C. Aarhus, ACSW, age 82, of Carlisle, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, January 2, 2018 at the Sarah A. Todd Memorial Home, Carlisle.
She was born May 2, 1935 in Carlisle to the late Charles William and Fern (Kramer) Cramp and was the widow of Robert Theodore Aarhus who passed September 28, 2005. They were married 44 years.
Audrey, a descendent of Molly Pitcher, was a proud 1953 graduate of Carlisle High School and honorably served her country in the United States Air Force from 1953-1956 during the Korean Conflict. She attended Dickinson College in the 1950s, and worked for Allegheny Airlines as a Reservationist. She then went to work for the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. Audrey married Robert, on May 27, 1961, at the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Alexandria, VA. She took time off to raise her family, adopt a daughter, and serve as a foster parent to hundreds of children, regaling them with the exploits of Mama Bear. She earned her Bachelor of Social Work degree at Shippensburg University in 1977, and went on to work at Carlisle Hospital as a Medical Social Worker while she attended Temple University to achieve her Master of Social Work degree in 1985. She then joined the Social Work department at Hershey Medical Center. Audrey taught at Shippensburg University, Messiah College and Temple University, Harrisburg Campus. She was a Psychotherapist in private practice for many years and was the founder of Alternative Behavior Consultants of Carlisle. She also served as the on-site therapist for the Naval Supply Depot, Mechanicsburg, PA. Her reputation as a life coach and storyteller were renowned. Audrey was a longtime member of the Cumberland Perry Mental Health-Mental Retardation Board, a founding member of Camp Koala, a member of Old Bellaire Chapter Order of Eastern Star #375, and a lifetime member of First United Methodist Church, now Carlisle United Methodist Church.
She is survived by: a son, Robert T. Aarhus, Jr. (wife Christin) of Centreville, VA; a son, William H. Aarhus (wife Susan) of Rockville, MD; a daughter, Fern-Marie Dempsey (husband Rob) of Carlisle; a brother, Charles W. Cramp, Jr. of Carlisle; eight grandchildren: Daniel, Rachel, Joshua, Susan Marie, Aylin, Robby, Mason, and Audrey Rose; and numerous loving nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents and husband, Audrey was preceded in death by a daughter, Elizabeth Ann Aarhus, a sister, Norma (Bolze) Glessner, and an aunt who was like a sister, Joyce (Kramer) Black.
Memorial services will be held at a later date at Hoffman Funeral Home & Crematory, 2020 W. Trindle Road, Carlisle, PA. Burial will be private and held at the convenience of the family at the Old Cemetery, Carlisle.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Camp Koala, PO Box 2106, Kingston, PA 18704, or a charity of the donor’s choice that supports children and families.
To sign the guestbook, please visit www.HoffmanFH.com