William Harry Austin III

William H. Austin III (Trey), 69, of Dumfries, Virginia, passed away peacefully beside his wife on January 3, 2026 after a one-and-a-half-year battle with brain cancer. He was born in Norfolk, Virginia to Harry and Virginia Austin. Trey was a devoted husband, son, brother, brother-in-law, uncle and friend.
Trey was an Eagle Scout in his youth and graduated from Kempsville Sr. High School in 1975. He continued his education at Old Dominion University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering.
Trey began his civil service career as a Naval Architect at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia in 1981. He had the opportunity to ride on several Navy surface ships and submarines in oceans all over the world. Trey moved from the Shipyard to NAVSEA in Crystal City in 1987 where he was a Naval Architect and over the years, progressed to the title of Lead Systems Engineer and Senior Ship Design Manager (SDM) for the Joint High Speed Vessel (now called the Expeditionary Fast Transport (EFT)) acquisition program, a Navy led, joint Army and Marine Corps interest acquisition program designed to procure a new class of light weight, high speed, intra-theater logistics vessels to support the maneuver of personnel, supplies and equipment. He and his team delivered 5 of these ships before his retirement in 2015. He was very proud of this accomplishment. After retirement, Trey was a Senior Engineer for a Government Contractor until his second retirement in 2022.
Most of all, Trey enjoyed a long history of community service and loved giving back to people in our community. He was a Past President of the Montclair Lions Club and the Past President of the Friends of the Montclair Community Library.
On a personal note, Trey and Betsy enjoyed life to the fullest, loved to travel and enjoy new experiences. He loved good Scotch and enjoyed the occasional cigar with the guys while solving world problems.
Trey loved art and enjoyed painting in water colors, his mother, an artist, taught him to draw while he was still in his high chair.
Trey loved to entertain and get our friends together to have fun and relax. The many Halloween Parties, Holiday Parties and special dinners were a highlight of our Kensington Street. He treated each and every day as a gift to be enjoyed. Trey was just beginning to get back into his childhood hobby of model trains and had plans to build a large train track in the basement for his O gauge, HO gauge and N gauge model trains when illness struck.
Trey is preceded in death by his parents, Harry and Virginia Austin.
Trey is survived by his high school sweetheart and wife of 44 years, Elizabeth (Betsy) Austin and 2 nieces, Madison and Reagan of Chesapeake, VA; a brother Thomas Windsor Austin and a nephew, Thomas Jr. of Temecula, California.
After a brief stop at the Rainbow Bridge to collect his beloved pets, he will join his family and friends in heaven, remaining in Our Lord's saving grace.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, January 14, 2026 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Another brief visitation will be held on Thursday, January 15, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. followed by the Funeral Service from 11:00 a.m. to 12 Noon all taking place at Mountcastle Turch Life Celebration Home, 4143 Dale Blvd, Dale City Virginia. The burial service will be held after the Funeral on Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 2 p.m. at Stonewall Memory Gardens, 12004 Lee Hwy, Manassas, VA 20109.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Trey's name to the Montclair Lions Club Scholarship Program, P.O. Box 246, Dumfries, VA 22026 or to any charity of your choice.