Donald E. Austin, Esq., 95, of South New Berlin, passed away peacefully on Monday, April 14, 2014 at the NYS Veteran’s Home in Oxford.
Don grew up in Copiague, NY, raised his family in White Plains, NY and retired to South New Berlin, NY with his wife, Pat.
He graduated from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA prior to joining the Navy during WWII where he served on the USS Pope in the Pacific Fleet until the Japanese sank it in March of 1942. He was placed in a POW camp for the next 3 ½ years. During this period his parents believed their only child, reported missing in action, was gone. It is interesting to note that his 2014 funeral service and full military burial will actually be the second service planned in his honor.
Once he returned to American soil in relatively good shape, he continued his education at Columbia University Law School where he met the love of his life, Dorothy Humphrey (Pat).
His professional career started and ended in home based offices in Peekskill and South New Berlin. NY, but the majority of his professional career was spent at General Motors as an international attorney and manager for their Overseas Division. During retirement he helped his wife with her apartment house business and his son, Dave, with Great Brook Solar.
Don and Pat, whom he lost in 2009, had three children, sons David Austin of So. New Berlin and Jonathan Austin of Binghamton and daughter, Jeanne Gormick and her husband, Cal, of Laguna Niguel, CA. He is also survived by three grandchildren and five great grandchildren who live in New York, California and Hawaii.
Funeral services for Donald will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 17, 2014 at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Norwich with Rev. Chuck Taylor, Rector, officiating. Burial will follow in Riverside Cemetery in South New Berlin. There will be no calling hours.
The arrangements are under the direction of the Wilson Funeral Home. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting the funeral home website at www.wilsonfh.com.