Marjorie M. Austin

Marjorie Markle Austin, age 98, of Akron passed away on August 25, 2015.
She was the younger of two daughters of Ralph Leighton Markle and Marian Bullock Markle. She was preceded in death by her sister, Marian Markle Mondl (Thomas). She is survived by her daughter, Anne A. Cooper (Howard) (Ann Arbor, MI); son, Stuart Austin (Akron); daughter, Laura Austin (Rebecca) (Cuyahoga Falls); grandchildren, Jennifer Baird (Brian) (Dexter, MI) and Jody Steger (A.J.) (Fort Collins, CO) and her great grandchildren; Kerrigan and Darby Baird, Katherine Anne and Benjamin Steger and all her beloved Indiana relatives. She leaves her nephew, John Mondl who thought of her as "my other mother" and her niece, Joyce Mondl.
Marjorie was born on Bastille Day in 1917 in Akron, Ohio, proudly graduated from Springfield High School, where she played basketball, and later attended the University of Akron. She was employed by Firestone Tire and Rubber Company as an executive secretary before becoming a full-time homemaker, mother and volunteer.
She was married to Robert C. Austin, whom she met in grade school. They had 3 children. Robert owned Austin Ignition Company, a refrigeration and truck repair and parts company founded by his father, Carl Austin, and Austin GMC. Robert received a BSEE degree from the University of Akron, later attended Case University, and was a member of SAE.
Marjorie lived in Akron on Revere Road, and later moved to Overwood Road. She enjoyed gardening and flower arranging, water color painting, reading and writing poetry, music, dance and the symphony. She was an amateur photographer, loved sports and being in the sun. She was strikingly beautiful, very social and conversational, strong-willed, determined, sure of herself, fun, and a firecracker, like her favorite holiday, 4th of July.
She was stoic in meeting Parkinson's disease head on and faced the rigors of old age with courage.
She was past alumnae president and a 75+ year member of Phi Mu sorority. She is a life member of Witan and the Fairlawn Garden Club, former board member of the Florence Crittenton Home and the Children's Home.
On behalf of our mother, the family would like to express our gratitude to Rockynol Retirement Community for attending to her every need for nearly 15 years and to her general practitioner, Dr. J. Joseph Payton, M.D. Thanks to her loyal friend, Jane Sanders for all her visits and flowers. To Senior Helpers for providing trusted, caring aides-especially D'Aundria Dukes, Shattoria Parrish, Ayesha Saddler, and Michelle Reed. To her Phi Mu sorority sisters for their kindness and friendship.
A memorial of her life will be held Saturday, November 14, 2015 with details to follow, later.
Gifts in memory of Marjorie may be made to the National Parkinson's Foundation, 200 SE First St., Suite 800, Miami, FL 33131 or Rockynol, Ohio Presbyterian Retirement Services Foundation, 1001 Kingsmill Parkway, Columbus, Ohio 43229. To share a Memory, (Billow FAIRLAWN Chapel)