Virgil King Austin, 80, of Gore, VA, passed away on Monday, July 19, 2021, at Winchester Medical Center.

Virgil was born in 1941 in Sherman, TX, to the late Virgil Randall and Oneta King. Virgil served in the United States Navy and received an associate degree from Trade Tech in Los Angeles. He spent his early career as a technical illustrator at Litton and Lockheed Martin, and later worked on numerous manuals and other materials for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, including for the Hubble Space Telescope. He was a gifted artist at scales large and small; his paintings can be seen in the area at Mount Pleasant/Lamps United Methodist Church and most notably, on the apple on Piccadilly Street in Downtown Winchester. Virgil had a profound interest in space, loved to fly, and was a novelist.

Virgil married Kathryn Lynnette Nater on July 4, 1989, in Kauai, HI.

Surviving with Virgil’s wife Kathryn are his children, Elizabeth Paige Neiman (Luis) of Irvine, CA, Virgil Blaine Austin of Glendale, CA, and Christopher King Austin of Galveston, TX; grandchildren, Sierra Austin, Nicole Rios, Benjamin Austin, Blaine Austin, Thomas Austin, Dante Neiman, and Enzo Neiman; and brother, Robert Austin (Vicky) of Lewisville, TX.

Virgil is preceded in death by his parents and sister, Lynn Beck.

All services for Virgil will be private.

Contributions in Virgil’s memory may be made to: SPCA of Winchester, 111 Featherbed Lane, Winchester, VA 22601, or Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum, 14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly, VA 20151