On Friday morning, July 12, Audrey Griffin did two of her favorite things. She celebrated Mass at the nearby San Lorenzo Seminary and then got on her horse to work cattle. It was like any other day, except on this day, Audrey would take a different trail, riding up over that far, far ridge and into God’s waiting arms. She passed away in the saddle, doing what she loved.
Horses were a centerpiece in Audrey’s world, along with her family, her faith, and her friends. If you met Audrey, you were her friend — and she had many, many friends.
Audrey was born in 1936 in Santa Monica to parents Ray and Hazel O’Brien. Her father was the head of the prop department for MGM Studios in Culver City, close to where she and her brother, Doug, would grow up in neighboring Mar Vista. Her mother was a hairdresser and worked with many celebrities of the era. But even with Hollywood glamour a part of her life, Audrey would have none of it, as horses captivated her at an early age.