NEWPORT NEWS — Lorraine Paula Austin was born in 1948 and passed away Thursday, July 29, 2021. She was accompanied to heaven by the love of her life and husband of 52 years, Edward Eugene Austin.
Lorraine grew up in the coal mining town of Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Her father, Leo Zelinski, was a second-generation Polish immigrant and her mother, Marion (Kovacs) Zelinski, was a second-generation Hungarian-Slovak immigrant whose father died of black lung when Marion was 10. Both parents, having grown up during the Great Depression, knew what lean times were like and impressed strong core values upon Lorraine; her younger brother, Joe; and their grandchildren. Nothing in the Zelinski’s house went to waste. Even cling wrap was washed, dried and rerolled for repeat use.
Lorraine was always a “free spirit.” A tomboy as a child, Lorraine costumed as a cowboy with toy pistols on her hips and never had much interest in makeup or girly trappings. Raised Catholic and as a parochial school attendee in middle school, she notoriously skipped class and chapel to play in the snow with friends on what they later realized was Ash Wednesday. To avoid being discovered as a truant, Lorraine picked coal from the railroad tracks to rub an ash cross onto her forehead before going home “from school” that day.
The summer after her freshman year at Bucknell University, Lorraine met Ed Austin, who she would promptly take as her husband and devoted partner for life. In order to comply with her father’s requirement that she must be at least 21 and complete college before marriage, Lorraine finished her degree in three years. She graduated from Bucknell on June 8, turned 21 on June 11, and married Ed June 15, 1969.
Lorraine and Ed started married life in Philadelphia, both pursuing further education at the University of Pennsylvania, where Lorraine completed her Master of Science in Education Degree in 1971. She moved to Newport News with Ed when he accepted a position at Fort Eustis, working as a teacher until she became a mother.
After caring for her two boys (Larry and Dan) as a homemaker during their pre-school years, Lorraine was integral in the founding of the Peninsula’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity in 1985 and served as its first executive director. Running the new charity from her home initially, she raised funds, organized volunteers, managed construction sites, and guided families on the path to homeownership. Lorraine was recognized as the Daily Press newspaper’s Citizen of the Year in 1992 for her contribution to Habitat’s accomplishments. As the organization grew, Lorraine transitioned to the role of family services coordinator until her retirement in 2008. Started from her enthusiasm, determination, and commitment to helping people, Habitat for Humanity of the Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg has now built and renovated over 200 houses, enabling at least as many families to become homeowners.
More important to Lorraine than professional, volunteer and service accomplishments were the relationships she developed along the way. Her spontaneous, fun and creative personality was the perfect complement to her husband Ed, an engineer. Lorraine regularly expressed gratitude for having sons because she wouldn’t have known what to do with girls. With her boys (and later grandchildren), she inspired adventures, led fishing trips, took special vacations and personally connected as a friend and confidant. Lorraine captained her prized 21′ Grady-White (Lorraine’s Addiction), “adopted” neighborhood kids as fishing partners, coerced choir members, and invited numerous other friends, neighbors, and acquaintances to go fishing with her.
Lorraine’s love for nature extended beyond fishing. In recent years, she earned the designation of Virginia master naturalist as she took pleasure in measuring and reporting rainfall, water quality and migratory bird counts throughout the region. Lorraine was also member of the Newport News City Planning Commission and volunteered for Virginia’s Democratic Party, specifically with efforts to increase voter turnout.
When her mother required hospice, Lorraine found another lifelong friend in Marion’s primary caregiver. With Lorraine’s encouragement, Alexis Carter formalized her business and established I AM Companion Home Care LLC, a company for which Lorraine served on the board.
A choir member throughout her adult life, Lorraine sang for Hidenwood Presbyterian Church (where she also raised her sons, was a deacon, and elder), the Bellissima group, and more recently, St. John’s Episcopal Church choir under the direction of her dear friend, Deborah Carr.
Lorraine was also a Stephen minister, studied Hebrew and Greek, played the guitar and piano, went hang-gliding with her children and parasailing with her grandson (Peter), played tennis, prayed faithfully, gave generously, loved fearlessly, cooked wonderfully, cried readily, cared deeply, and loved life in a way that those who knew her admired and miss already. Lorraine would want everyone who knew her to find peace in the knowledge that she lived a full life, had no regrets, and was able to enter heaven together with her dear husband.
Lorraine is survived by her sons, Lawrence and Daniel, their wives Holly and Gwyneth, and seven grandchildren. Larry and Holly, of Great Falls, are parents to Luke (17), Peter (15), Mark (13), Timothy (10) and Rose (7) Austin. Dan and Gwyneth, of New Orleans, La., are parents to son Emmett (3) and are expecting Margaret Lorraine Austin, who is due Dec. 25, 2021. Lorraine is also survived by Ed’s younger brother, Mark, of Des Moines, Iowa, and her younger brother, Joe (Lisa) Zelinski, of Easton, Pa.; as well as their children, George (Tori), Susan, Amy and Carla.
The Austin family will receive visitors from 6 to 8 p.m., Friday, Aug. 13, at the Mariners’ Museum. Party shirts honoring Ed and bright clothes honoring Lorraine are encouraged. Flowers may be sent directly to the site of Lorraine and Ed’s memorial in advance of the service, to be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 14, at Hidenwood Presbyterian Church, 414 Hiden Blvd., Newport News. All are welcome to attend the service and stay for a reception immediately following. Childcare will be provided. The service will be livestreamed to separate areas within the church to provide for social distancing for those who require it and will be online for those unable to attend. Masks are encouraged for unvaccinated attendees.
Gifts in honor of Lorraine are welcomed by a charity or faith-based institution of your choice or may be donated in her name to Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg, P.O. Box 1443, Newport News, VA 23601; and St. John’s Episcopal Church, 100 W. Queens Way, Hampton, VA 23669.
Share online condolences with the family at Weymouth Funeral Home.
