Nina Diane Flugel, 73, passed away Jan. 24, 2021, after a battle with kidney disease. She was a fighter to the end, dearly loved by her family and many friends, and will be deeply missed. She was born Dec. 16, 1947, in Seattle, Wash., to Lee and Mary Austin.
She moved to Lewis County in the early 1970’s, and married Bruce Leroy Flugel in 1976. She worked for several years at the now defunct Western Farmers store in Chehalis before retiring in the early 1980’s to take care of her newborn daughter. In later years, Nina worked as a caregiver for the elderly, and was a dedicated Jehovah’s Witness. She lived an active and full life, and kept busy with hard work, hobbies, family and visiting with friends. She was unflaggingly kind and generous, and loved to laugh. She was a natural born caretaker who always had time to listen patiently to people’s problems and give endless support and sound advice.
One of Nina’s great loves was cooking and baking for family and friends, and no person (or animal) who visited her house ever left hungry. Nina had a quick mind and a keen eye, and took great joy in finding a good bargain. She also loved animals, especially dogs, and spoiled many pets over the years, as well as taking in and feeding all types of strays. She was fond of gardening, reading, and learning new things, and in the last years of her life, became a whiz on her iPad, adept at email, online shopping and video streaming.
Nina is survived by her loving husband of 44 years, Bruce; son Jeff; daughter, Amy; Japanese daughter-in-law, Noriko Hada; grandson, Kenji; sisters, Grace Smith and Val Austin-Zander; brother, Warren Austin; sister-in-law, Patricia Austin; and many nieces and nephews.
At this time, no service is planned.
