Obituary: In memory of Audra Weiss
Prepared by the Weiss family
Audra Weiss, 57, a resident of Mill Valley, California, passed away on Dec. 31, 2024, with her husband and children by her side. The wife of Jim Weiss and mother of Ethan, 23, and Emily, 20, Audra was a quiet yet powerful force who walked through life exuding grace, strength and class.
As the matriarch and CEO of the Weiss family, Audra will be sorely missed by family, friends, neighbors and her community at large. She was a devoted “Mama Bear,” loyal friend and passionate advocate for those who suffered, especially those living with cancer.
Born and raised in Coram, New York, Audra graduated from the Whitman School at Syracuse University and forged a career in healthcare communications. She met her husband Jim through a mutual friend and found they had been living parallel lives. He also went to Syracuse and worked in the same field, but they had never met. Like When Harry Met Sally, they built a strong friendship that led to an unbreakably strong marriage of nearly 25 years.
She knew from the start that she would happily trade in her stellar professional career for a lifelong role in motherhood. She welcomed Ethan and Emily into the world and devoted herself to her calling.
Audra’s intellect and brilliance shone in the backdrop of Jim’s entrepreneurial quest to build a leading global communications firm. As an advisor and confidante, Audra made her mark on the business that would become Real Chemistry. To her, success was a vehicle to do good—giving back through the Weiss Family Office.
When she was diagnosed with cancer two years ago, she turned her journey into advocacy, crossing paths with The Dempsey Center and recently joining their board. She was a staunch ally who always demonstrated kindness, courage, integrity and care.
Even in the later stages of her disease, she prioritized others—especially those who had recently received a cancer diagnosis. In her words: “No one can do this alone.” Selfless to the end, Audra was committed to sharing her wisdom about the cancer journey and her vision for providing free holistic medical care to patients in need.
Audra will be remembered by her family, friends, colleagues and her Syracuse Color War crew as a brave warrior who believed, with every part of her being, that she could defy the odds. For two years, she did, until the burden of her disease became too great.
In addition to her husband and children, Audra is survived by her parents, Ronni and Mark Nass; her brother, Eric Nass, and his wife, Lisa; her uncle and aunt, Steve and Honey Schwartz; her brother-in-law, Harry Weiss; and sisters-in-law, Beth Weiss and Cindy Weiss. She also leaves her longtime furry companion, Kona.
Services were held at Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco. Donations in Audra’s memory can be made to The Dempsey Center, Family Reach, Hope Lodge and the Cancer Research Institute.
