Austin Jerry Page, of Middletown, RI, passed away on Sunday, November 17, 2013 with his wife Rosemary and his son Randall by his side.
He is also survived by his two daughters-in-law, Sharon Page Harrison of Texas and Katherine Page of California; his five grandchildren, Aaron Page and his wife Amy and Victoria Page Hodgkiss of Virginia, Nathan Page and Carrie Page Lawhorn and her husband Dan of California, and Austin Joshua Page of Portsmouth, RI; and seven great-grandchildren, Rex and Alex Page and Austin and Ashley Hodgkiss of Virginia, and Brody, Stella and Riggin Lawhorn of California.
He was born May 26, 1926 in Acushnet, MA the son of Austin L.L. Page and Hazel (Morse) Page.
He entered the US Navy in 1943 and attended boot camp in Newport. In 1944, shortly after turning 18, his ship the D.E. U.S.S. Barr 576, was torpedoed in the North Atlantic. In the same action, the carrier U.S.S. Block Island was sunk. He later enlisted in the US Air Force and retired in 1965 from Warren A.F.B. in Cheyenne, WY. He was a nuclear weapons crew chief in the Strategic Air Command. His two favorite duty stations were Freising, Germany and Nouasseur, Morocco. He was a longtime member of the United Congregational Church on Valley Road in Middletown where he had been chairman of the Stewardship Committee. He also was one of four volunteers who met once a week to do minor repairs around the church. He enjoyed traveling, reading and woodworking.
He was predeceased by two of his sons, Lt. Rex L. Page, US Naval Air and Lt. Col Austin Jerry Ben Page, US Army (Ret.).
Burial with military honors will be private in St. Mary's Churchyard in Portsmouth, RI.