Audrie Marie Hinerman's Obituary
Audrie Hinerman, 82, passed away on May 4, 2025, in Shaker Heights, OH.
Audrie Hinerman, 82, was born on June 13, 1942, in Clairton, Pennsylvania, to Jack and Mary Voytell. She grew up on brick-paved Walnut Avenue, perched on the hill above the steel mill where her father worked. Audrie graduated from Clairton High School in 1960, where she was a majorette, and went on to earn her bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh, studying microbiology. She loved math and science and often smiled as she recalled commuting from Walnut Avenue by bus for a nickel, passing through the Liberty Tunnels and down Fifth Avenue. She later earned a master's degree in microbiology from West Virginia University, where in 1967 she met the love of her life, Kenneth Hinerman II, in the library stacks. Ken asked her out by throwing a paper airplane to her desk to see if she would like to go out for pizza. She first said no but after the second airplane she agreed, and the rest, as they say, was history.
Audrie and Ken were married on July 20, 1968, in Clairton, with their reception at Le Mont on Mount Washington. Together they built a life built on loyalty, devotion, and family, raising two children, Kenneth Hinerman III and Michele (Hinerman) Wilham. Audrie began her career as a microbiologist and later worked for DuPont in Delaware, where she and Ken enjoyed the community of the DuPont Country Club. Audrie poured her blood sweat and tears into her husband's company, SAEC, serving as bookkeeper, administrative assistant, travel planner, and day-to-day operations manager.
To know Audrie was to know deep love expressed in a thousand ways through carefully planned holidays, and a home that always felt warm and welcoming. Thanksgiving meant the cherished trip from Maryland to Pleasant Hills, Pennsylvania, to be with her sister, Dorothy, and brother Ken. Christmas meant family, laughter, and a perfectly set dining room table with fancy dishes set with care. She loved picking the family Christmas tree at Maryland's Butler's Orchard, decorating the house, buying gifts, and gathering everyone for the kind of meal you remember long after the plates are cleared. Easter brought the Albrechts, the family of Dorothy's daughter, Lisa, to her home for an unforgettable egg hunt across the two-acre backyard in Rockville. Summer memories were built on the Chesapeake Bay power boating from marina to marina, and that happiness that comes from being together.
Audrie had joy in the everyday, too. Her grandchildren still remember the special treat she kept stocked in the freezer, mini ice-cream cones that she awarded them. And no Steelers Sunday was ever casual in her house: Audrie was fiercely loyal to Pittsburgh, settling in front of the television with Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, and John Stallworth, holding her beloved yellow Terrible Towel with a devotion that was equal parts superstition and tradition. She did not like to be interrupted because to her, some rituals deserved your full attention.
A woman of faith, Audrie was a founding member of St. Francis Catholic Church in Rockville, Maryland, and later a devoted parishioner at St. Patrick's Church, where she and Ken faithfully attended Mass each Sunday - often the first through the doors to claim their front-row seat beside the choir and orchestra. Her faith and her family were the anchors of her life.
Audrie is survived by her beloved husband, Kenneth Hinerman II; her children, Kenneth Hinerman III and Michele (Jon) Wilham; her five grandchildren, Ashley Hinerman, Makenzie Hinerman, Natalie Hinerman, Hailey Wilham, and Jack Wilham; her nieces and nephews, Audrie Ouellette, Lisa Albrecht, Kimberly Wagner, Kurt Voytell, Kenneth Voytell, and Brook Dickerson; and her mother-in-law, Marie Hinerman. She was preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Mary Voytell; her sister, Dorothy (Ross) Valvo; and her brother, Kenneth (June) Voytell.
Audrie is also survived by her lifelong friends Joe & Jetty Stockel, Bob & Carol Miranda, Peggy Valtos, Stewart & Debbie Morick, Paul & Josie Piccone, Kathy O'Leary, and Grace Brynn - friendships that were a true gift throughout her life. Her family is also deeply grateful for Linda Brinkerhoff, her physical therapist who became a close family friend and brought comfort, encouragement, and improved quality of life in recent years.
Family and friends will be received on Friday, May 9, 2025, from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home, 301 Curry Hollow Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15236. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at Triumph of the Holy Cross Parish, St. Elizabeth of Hungary Worship Site, 1 Grove Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15236. Entombment will follow at Jefferson Memorial Mausoleum, followed by lunch to celebrate Audrie's life.
Flowers may be arranged through the Jefferson Memorial website, or memorial donations may be made in Audrie's name to the American Cancer Society Donations.
What’s your fondest memory of Audrie?
What’s a lesson you learned from Audrie?
Share a story where Audrie's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Audrie you’ll never forget.
How did Audrie make you smile?
