Richard Austin passed away May 16, 2026, peacefully at home. He was 82. A beloved husband, father, grandfather, and brother, he is survived by his wife, Hilary; son, David (Mary); granddaughter, Samantha; sister, Ruth Gallagher (Robert); and brother-in-law, Peter Jones. He was predeceased by his daughter Claire. Richard was born in Joliet, IL, to Lloyd and Ardis Austin on August 16, 1943. He attended Joliet High School. After graduating from the University of Iowa, he joined Harris Bank in Chicago as a computer systems analyst and programmer. At Harris Bank, he met another employee, Hilary Trevallion (Jones). Richard and Hilary were married on June 21, 1974. While living in Chicago, they worked diligently transforming a Lincoln Park two-flat into a beautiful single-family home. Richard mastered many new skills to accomplish this and was always very proud of the outcome. After retirement, they moved to Galena, IL, a place they had become very fond of over the years. Richard was a proud member of the Galena Rotary Club and served as club secretary for many years. He enjoyed the sense of community provided by his involvement in Rotary and his participation in activities in the Galena area. As a lifelong craftsman, he also participated in Habitat for Humanity, enjoying donating his time and skills to the organization. Throughout his life, he enjoyed tennis and golf, and complaining about the Chicago Cubs and Bears. At Richard’s request, services will be private. The family wishes to thank Dr. Greg Vandigo for his care and support over the years, and Hospice of Dubuque, especially Jessica, Peggy, and Morgan, for their loving and compassionate care during the last year. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Hospice of Dubuque, 1670 JFK Rd. Dubuque, IA 52001, in memory of Richard. Private family services will be held later.
Richard Austin
Richard will be missed. A first cousin (our mothers were sisters), we grew up together, living very near each other. As the years passed we both grew into our adult lives, living far apart, seeing each other only infrequently. But I always felt that we kept the connection that we had as children. Richard lived a very full life and shared his talents with many others. RIP cousin.
I first met Rich at a Galena Territory annual meeting, where he was manning a Rotary Club table to welcome new members. I accepted his invitation to attend a meeting, ended up joining, and later even served as club president. I truly enjoyed Rich and deeply appreciated his lifelong desire to leave the world a better place. He certainly did just that. I am so sorry for your loss, but I hope you can take comfort in knowing how highly respected and well-loved he was.