Florence “Jacky” Austin of Richfield, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on July 7, 2026, at 10:07 in the evening, surrounded by her loving family. She was 100 years old — born and gone on the very same July day, a century apart, in the first bright week of the summer she loved best.

Jacky was, by every account, the life of the party. She was the one everyone turned to when life happened — the person you called with your good news and your hard news alike, always ready with warmth, wisdom, and a well-timed laugh. She never missed a parade, and more often than not she led it, kazoo in hand. She loved a game of cards and bright colors that matched her spirit, and she had a gift for words — forever writing poems and rhymes to mark the moments that mattered. She never met a 4th of July she didn’t adore. Through it all, she was a woman of deep and abiding faith, which anchored her life and shone through in the way she loved others.

She was a friend to all and a wonderful mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother whose joy for living she passed on to everyone lucky enough to know her.

Jacky was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Don; her cherished granddaughter, Mary; and her son-in-law, Charlie. She is survived by her three children, Vicky (Dave) Anderson, Tom Austin, and Lisa (Joe) Hindsley; her seven grandchildren, Amy, Rachael, Carolyn, Katherine, Katelyn, Jenn, and Joey; and ten great-grandchildren, along with countless friends who became family.

A celebration of Jacky’s life will be held on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at Word of Peace Lutheran Church, 21705 129th Avenue North, Rogers, Minnesota. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., followed by the service at 11:00 a.m., with a luncheon to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in her memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Her spirit will live on in the parades she led, the cards she dealt, and the countless memories she leaves behind.

Live stream of service at:  Service Livestream through Church website