Leah Leinwar Austin

Leah Leinwar Austin passed away peacefully at Poydras Home on December 6, 2015, at the age of 87 with her family by her side. She was preceded in death by her parents, Gustave and Cecelia Anderson Leinwar, both of New Orleans, as well as her sister, Celie Leinwar; four brothers, Gustave Leinwar, Jr., Milton Leinwar, Merlin Leinwar and James Christian Leinwar and two husbands, Joseph Wayne Austin and Joseph Maese. She is survived by one brother, Warren Leinwar; two daughters, Kimberly J. Austin (Sandy Miller), Leslie Austin Wallace (Campbell Edington); three grandsons, Erik Austin Johnsen, Dr. Niels Vass Johnsen (Sarah) and Campbell Edington Wallace, II and one great granddaughter, Isla Elisabeth Johnsen. Leah graduated from Garner Secretarial School and began her working career at Prudential Life Insurance Company where she made many lifelong friends. After the death of her husband, Joseph Austin, in 1965, she took over the family business, Met-L-Vent Awning Co., and remained as owner and operator until her retirement at 70 in 1992. Leah prided herself on living a full life. She loved entertaining, theatre, cooking, gardening, managing her rental property, line dancing, playing cards with the Canasta Girls and traveling all over world. However, above all else, she adored spending time with her family. She would tell anyone who would listen about the accomplishments of her three beloved grandsons, Austin, Niels and Campbell. A devout Catholic, Leah found strength in her faith in God and began and ended each day with her little red book of prayers to St. Jude. She remained elegantly dressed and dignified until the very end. The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Leah's special and loving caregivers, Sherrise Lewis and Thelma Webster, and to all of the wonderful staff of Poydras Home. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend a Memorial Mass of Christian Burial at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., New Orleans, LA on Friday, December 11, 2015 at 2:00 PM. Visitation will be from 12:00 PM until 2:00 PM. Interment will follow in Metairie Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in honor of Mrs. Austin to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org. To view and sign the family guestbook, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com.