Audrey "Jean" Kierdorf

Audrey “Jean” McCurdy Kierdorf was born on August 26th, 1928 in Detroit, Michigan to Henrietta Colgan and William Lester McCurdy. An only child, she enjoyed growing up in the city of Detroit, ice skating in her backyard ice rink, and visiting the local bars that her father owned and operated, including the Red Wing Bar and McCurdy’s bar. Jean enjoyed bellying up to a bar for a good time with friends and drinking the “house” wine for the remainder of her life. She met her husband and love of her life, Richard Kierdorf, in Detroit and they were married April 19th,1952. Dick and Jean built a wonderful life together and enjoyed raising their 3 children, Marty, Mike and Megan in Saginaw, Michigan for many years. They all have especially fond memories of summers spent as a family and with friends at the lake in Port Austin.

After their children had grown, Dick and Jean made several moves around the country, enjoying good weather and relocating near their children and grandchildren. Everywhere they went, they quickly made friends and enjoyed nights out for gambling, cards, and drinking. Jean and Dick loved to travel, seeing much of the world together.

Always one to speak her mind, you never knew what would come out of Jean’s mouth next. She loved white wine, lottery tickets, crossword puzzles, slot machines, and giving people a hard time.

Known affectionately to her grandchildren as “Gummi” or “Jean Jean” because she always proclaimed she wasn’t old enough to be a grandma, Jean enjoyed playing cards and sharing sips of her chardonnay with her grandchildren: Leslie, Blair, Bailey, Matt, Will, Shane, Cole and Brett. She loved a good competition, and typically ended phone calls by proclaiming “I love you more than you love me,” resulting into back-and-forth giggles and argues of who really loved the other the most.

Jean especially loved her great grandchildren, Rory, Reese, Brynn, Cuyler, Isla, Nolan, and Maggie, and was always proud to hear if they had done anything mischievous. 

Jean was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Kierdorf, both of her parents, Henrietta and Les McCurdy, her mother and father in law, Leila and Herman Kierdorf, and her daughter in law, Kathy Kierdorf. Many of her friends and family members also preceded her in death.

She is survived by her children, Megan (Rodd) Decker, Michael Kierdorf, and Martin (Janet) Kierdorf. Her grandchildren: Leslie (Gui) Pizzanelli, Blair (Tim) Endicott, Bailey (Andy) Low, Matt (Lindsey) Kierdorf, Will (Cristy) Kierdorf, Shane Kierdorf, Cole (Celine) Kierdorf, and Brett (Taylor) Kierdorf. Her great-grandchildren: Rory, Brynn and Nolan Endicott, Reese and Cuyler Low, Isla Pizzanelli, and Maggie Kierdorf. She is also survived by her good friend Tami Micola, and the staff at Cedarhurst and Ascent Hospice, whom she often gave a hard time, but always loved.

On August 28, 2025, Jean left her wonderful life after just turning 97 years old. Per her wishes, she did not want a service, but would encourage her family and friends to pour a drink in her honor.