Audrey Long Grasso, 80, of Newtown died on December 28 at Masonicare in Newtown. She was born on January 30, 1936, in New Britain, to Helen Lickwar Long and William Long.

Very active in her high school music department, she was an accomplished pianist and accompanist for her high school chorus. She also sang in select choral groups. During high school, she studied piano at the Hart School of Music in Hartford. She graduated from Boston University with a major in music education and a minor in piano performance, and also accompanied and participated in the select choral arts groups during her university career. After graduating from Boston University, cum laude in 1958, she taught general music in her hometown of New Britain prior to moving to Newtown in 1960.

Mrs Grasso was an elementary school teacher in Newtown from 1960 to 1963 before leaving her profession to raise a family. She was an active member of St Rose Church as a classroom music teacher, church organist, and accompanist for the church choir. She was a founding member and accompanist for the Newtown Choral Society and served as the organist at Catholic Mass on the Fairfield Hills Campus. For many years she was employed at The Newtown Bee and Voices newspapers as a journalist and served on the board of the Newtown Health District.

She married Joseph Grasso in August 1960, and together they raised four children.

Her husband; children Joseph Jr, Mark, Michael, and Amy; as well as her five grandchildren, Samuel, Olivia, Charlotte, James, and Margaret, survive her.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted at St Rose of Lima Church, 46 Church Hill Road, Newtown, on Tuesday, January 3, at 10:30 am. Burial will follow at Resurrection Cemetery on Route 25, Newtown.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Mrs Grasso's name to Parish Outreach of St Rose of Lima Church by visiting strosechurch.com.

Online condolences can be made at .spadaccinofuneralhome.com