Richard C. "Dick" Austin, 86, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., formerly of Wyoming, Del., died peacefully at home, surrounded by family on Monday, December 11, 2017. Born in 1931 in Glendale, Long Island, N.Y., he was the son of Henry and Augusta Austin. His family settled in Marydel, Del., and he attended Greensboro and Dover high schools. He attended St. Charles seminary and then returned home to join his family’s electrical business, becoming licensed at a young age.
Richard met and fell in love with the former Gertrude "Trudy" Sowada of Marydel, and they were married on June 2, 1951. They settled in Wyoming and built a large family. At 34, Richard became the general foreman of electrical construction for the “new” General Foods plant and was subsequently hired by the company. He remained with GF until the late 1960s, when he joined partners to form Diamond State Electrical Construction Company and Diamond State Engineering and Design. He became very active in local politics. Blessed with a silver tongue, he recorded countless radio spots for the Kent County Democrat Party throughout the 1960s and 1970s. He was a member of Holy Cross Church, where he implemented and performed the very first guitar masses.
In 1976, he moved with his family to the Poconos in northeastern Pennsylvania to operate a family vacation resort. He and Trudy retired to Myrtle Beach, S.C. and eventually moved to Fernandina Beach to be near family. While cancer may have taken him physically, his heart was broken after Trudy's death in 2014.
In addition to his wife, he was predeceased by his brothers, Howard and Kenneth.
He is survived by his brother, George of Camden, and seven children, Christopher (Judy) of Marydel, Kathleen Garner, Timothy Austin, and Mary (Woody) Harris, all of Fernandina Beach, Daniel (Marion) of Tunkhannock, Pa., Patricia (Glenn) Virdin of Camden Wyoming, Del., and Meg (Ed) Hughes of Kettering, Ohio. He is also survived by 22 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, all of whom were the light of his life.
Receiving of friends will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday, January 8, 2018 at Oxley-Heard Funeral Home in Fernandina Beach. Requiem mass to be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, January 9, 2018 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Mission in Yulee, Fla.
Please share your memories and condolences at www.oxleyheard.com.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors