Joan (Gray) Austin 1924-2008
Categories: Janesville Gazette Obituary, Third Generation Milton
"The Gazette Xtra", Janesville, Wisconsin, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008.
Joan Austin, 84, residing at Huntington Place in the Memory Care Building #1, was born to eternal life, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008. Joan graduated from Milton Union High School and went on to college, completing two years at Milton College and graduating from the University of Wisconsin with a B.A. degree in English Education. Joan was a long time, well known teacher in the Milton School District, who loved teaching English to many of Milton's finest students. She retired from teaching Junior High at the age of 62 and went on to enjoy her retirement years traveling to all the states in the United States except Alaska. Additionally, Joan was her husband's right hand in all of his endeavors with the Masonic Lodge. She loved ball room dancing, was an avid reader and played a good game of bridge. She also enjoyed golfing and was an enthusiastic fan of the Wisconsin Badgers and the Green Bay Packers. She was a lifetime member of the First Congregational Church of Milton and sang in the choir for many years.
Joan was the wife of Curtis E. Austin; and the devoted mother of Lynn (Don) Broesch of Germantown, WI and Steven (Kristi) Austin of Madison, WI; the loving grandmother of Jace (Sarah) Barbera of Savage, MN, Nick (Sara) Barbera of Menomonee Falls, WI, and Derek Austin of Madison. She was also the proud new great-grandmother of Carson James Barbera of Savage, MN. Her greatest joy was to be with her children and grandchildren who will forever miss her bright smile, and wonderful sense of humor. A day with "Grandma Jo" was a day filled with good times and laughter.
She is survived by her husband; her brother, Ross Gray of Janesville; and her nieces, Sue Gray of Darien and Mary Jo (Steve) Craig of Janesville; as well as a sister-in-law, Marian Brose of Janesville; and a brother-in-law, Kenneth Austin of Janesville. She was preceded in death by her parents, Mildred (Waterman) Gray of Milton and Robert Gray of Madison; her dear sister-in-law, Shirley Gray; and nephew, Rob Gray.
Funeral services will be held at 12 noon at the Congregational Church on Friday, Nov. 28, 2008. There will be a visitation at the church on Friday from 10:30 a. m. until the start of the service at noon. Private family burial will be held. Expressions of sympathy may be given to Alzheimer's Disease Research in the hopes of ending this devastating disease.
Special thanks go to the amazing caregivers at Memory Care #1 in Huntington Place and to the kind and compassionate people at Heartland Hospice, Rockford, IL. Joan's last days found her surrounded by those who not only cared for her physical needs but who reached out to her and to us, her children, with warmth and compassion.