We are sad to announce that our 2026 Portsmouth Island Homecoming planned for April 25 has been canceled. It has been plagued with several obstacles and challenges, which have made it unsafe and logistically impossible to hold the Homecoming at this time. We have worked closely with the Park, and they have made every effort to make it happen, but we simply are not able to provide a safe and successful Homecoming celebration this year. Therefore, the FPI Board of Directors has made the very difficult decision to cancel the event.
We are looking forward to our fall meeting Down East and will have updates regarding the village at that time. Meeting details will be announced as soon as they are available, so stay tuned. This won’t stop us from having Homecoming in 2028! We will be back better than ever!!
The FPI board met with CALO Acting Superintendent Katherine Cushinberry yesterday, and we are pleased to announce that Homecoming 2026 is a go! We have a lot of details to work out, so stay tuned to this page and to our website for more information as we go along. Start making your plans to attend Homecoming on Saturday, April 25!
REMINDER: Our fall membership meeting will be held on Saturday, September 20 at 10:00 AM at the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum on Harkers Island. Our guest speakers will be two representatives from the North Carolina Historical Preservation Office – Mr. Reid Thomas, who is a restoration specialist, and Lauren Poole, who is with their National Register of Historic Places division. It should be a very interesting meeting! You don’t need to be a member to attend. Immediately following the meeting, there will be a free luncheon provided by FPI. If you plan to stay for that, you MUST RSVP BY THE FIRST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER BY CALLING 919-818-3754 and leave a voicemail including your name, phone number, and the number who will be attending. We want to have enough food for all. We hope to see you there!
Mark your calendars! The fall membership meeting will be held on Saturday, September 20 at 10:00 AM at the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum on Harkers Island. Our guest speaker will be a representative from the North Carolina Department of Historic Preservation, so it should be an interesting meeting! You don’t need to be a member to attend; we would love to have you join us. (Photo credit: Core Sound Waterfowl Museum) Stay tuned for more information closer to the time.
We’d like to thank all of you who came to our membership meeting at Ocracoke on May 17! Our guest speaker was Ocracoke historian and author Philip Howard, who spoke to us about the Life Saving Service. Jeff West, CALO Superintendent, also gave updates on the state of the village, and there were tributes to the late Rudy Austin and the late Kenneth Burke. FPI president Connie Mason led us in singing “Throw Out the Lifeline”, which Kenneth had led during the hymn singing in the church at homecomings for many years.
Everyone enjoyed a delicious continental breakfast and door prizes for the lucky winners. It’s always a pleasure to meet at NCCAT. We enjoyed seeing attendees from as far away as Washington D.C. and Florida. Thank you all for making the effort to come!
REMINDER: Our spring membership meeting will take place two weeks from today, May 17, at 10 AM in the NCCAT building at Ocracoke. Our guest speaker will be Ocracoke author and historian Philip Howard, whose roots on Ocracoke go back to 1759. All are invited; you don’t need to be a member to attend. We hope to see you there!
Rudy Leroy Austin, a cherished native son of Ocracoke, North Carolina, was born on February 3, 1942, and peacefully passed away on April 17, 2025, at the age of 83.
Rudy’s life was a testament to dedication, service, and love for his community. He graduated from Ocracoke School in 1961 before serving his country with honor in the United States Air Force as an Airman 3rd Class from 1961 to 1965. Following his military service, Rudy worked off island before joining the North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division, where he faithfully navigated the Ocracoke/Hatteras ferry as a captain for 30 years.
Rudy was a true working waterman. He spent his life on the water. He fished pound nets, pulled crab pots, and shared his passion for island history and politics with both locals and visitors as he ferried them to and from his beloved Portsmouth Island.
Rudy’s commitment to his community was further reflected in his active participation in various organizations and associations. He was a proud member of the Mounted Boy Scout Troop 290, Tideland Electric Membership Corp., the Masonic Lodge, the Ocracoke Civic and Business Association, the Ocracoke Foundation, Friends of Portsmouth Island, and the Ocracoke Waterways Commission. His contributions were deep and wide and recognized by the Ocracoke School Alumni Association Citizenship Award, the Ocracoke Preservation Society Cultural Heritage Award, and the Ocracoke School Community Service Award.
Rudy was preceded in death by his beloved parents, Marion Forbes Austin and Junius Perry Austin.
He is survived by his devoted wife, Patricia Gibbs Austin; his children, Rudy Wade Austin (Gwen) and Lena Austin O’Neal (Mark); his treasured grandchildren, Sydney Elizabeth Austin, Colby Todd Austin, Hayden Bryce Austin, Maren Grace Donlon, and Paxton Fowler O’Neal; and his siblings, June Yvette Herring (Ray) and Donald Dwayne Austin (Cindy).
A celebration of Rudy’s life will be held at the Ocracoke United Methodist Church on Monday, May 12, 2025, at 1:00 pm. The family kindly requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Ocracoke Civic & Business Association-Island Christmas Decorations, PO Box 456, Ocracoke, NC 27960 or The Friends of Portsmouth Island-Restoration of Henry Pigott’s House, PO Box 2303, Morehead City, NC 28557, ensuring Rudy’s legacy of service and community support continues on.
Rudy Leroy Austin’s life was one marked by steadfast service, unwavering dedication, and a profound love for his community, leaving an indelible mark on all who had the privilege to know him.
Twiford Funeral Homes, Outer Banks is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences and memories may be shared at www.TwifordFH.com.
We posted this previously, but this is now an ongoing project with no specific deadline. So, if you were considering submitting something on your family but thought it was too late, it’s not! We’d like to have as many families represented as possible, so please participate if you can. Help is available!
