Jimmie D Austin

In preparation for services celebrating our father's leaving this earthly life and entering eternity, we have been charged with putting into words who our Daddy is. What a task. He has never been one to talk about himself. In fact he has always been more of listener that a talker; sitting in his recliner, eyes closed, napping we often thought, until he piped up with a comment that let you know he was completely aware of the conversation going on around him. Exactly who is this man we call husband, friend, uncle, brother, granddaddy, daddy? We would say that he is a hero. "What kind of a hero?" you might ask... Did he fight battles, win wars? Daddy did serve in the army during the Korean War era, though he never saw gunfire. He was a skipper on a ship in Alaska, patrolling and often taking soldiers hunting and fishing. One can imagine him sharing a smoke, telling jokes, playing poker and giving the soldiers on board a laugh, a smile, a respite from the stress of being far from home. But fight battles? Daddy fought and won many. He fought addiction and won. He and my mother (of whom he said as he looked at her last week, "I love her") fought to keep our family together against adversity and won. He fought heart disease over 21 years ago and won. He fought lung cancer twice before and won. And this final battle with lung cancer he won as well, healed and whole in heaven. Did he design and build great buildings or produce masterpieces? Well, our daddy did build and paint. He built bird houses, dollhouses, dog houses and nativities. His tools of choice were caulk and duct tape. He could work wonders with them. He painted as well. Daddy painted rooms, shutters, doors, windows, bedroom furniture and trunks to go to college with skill like no one else we know. He would patiently teach these skills to anyone who would spend a little time to help him. Masterpieces? He has 3 children and 6 grandchildren, all with some of his goodness and compassion in them. He never failed to challenge each to attain and be the best they could be. Did he win a Nobel Prize, establish world peace? Well, Daddy was able to negotiate peaceful resolutions between 3 strong willed children and keep mama happy. Because everyone in our family knows that if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. The one thing we have heard over and over from so many during this time and through the years is, "Your dad was always fair and he was always good to me." He loved his family, his coworkers, his church and his church family. What greater legacy can any of us hope to leave than that of being fair and good. If all the world would follow his example, there would be no need for wars. While our Daddy was far from perfect, he was a fighter, a character builder, a funny, caring, fair and good man. He was and is in our eyes, a hero. An ordinary hero. We love you Daddy. Our family thanks each of you for all of your support and prayers. We would love to have a record of your memories. If you think of a special moment or funny story, please take a moment to post it to this site for us to enjoy. Thank you again. Jimmie D Austin, 81, of Charlotte, went to be with the Lord, Monday, August 26, 2013. Mr. Austin's immediate family includes his wife, Ellein Austin; his children, Shelby James and her husband, Richard, Sherry Thomas and her husband, Kevin, and James S. Austin and his wife, Nina; his sister, Kathleen Calloway; six grandchildren. *In lieu of flowers, the family would like donations made to Sharon Forest Baptist Church. Please refer to the column left of this biography and select "Place A Donation" for the correct mailing address. -

Service Information

Saturday, August 31st, 2013 2:00pm

Interment Details

Private