Obituary of Harry Thomas Austin

Harry Thomas Austin, 78, of Pensacola, Florida, passed in peace on Wednesday, January 29, 2020, surrounded by his family. He was born on July 21, 1941, in Ft. Worth, Texas, the youngest son of four children of the late Robert E. Austin and Jessie L. Austin. He graduated from R. L. Paschal High School and attended college at Texas Christian University (1961-1963) and North Texas University (1965-1966). Harry was preceded in death by his parents and older brother, Robert Austin. He is survived by his loving wife of 20 years, Barbara Long-Austin; his sons, James (Liane) Austin and Christopher (Sherry) Austin; sister, Patricia Austin; brother, James (Elizabeth) Austin; proud grandfather of Jesse, Aubreanna, Mason, and Rayne and by many loving nieces, nephews, and relatives. Harry had a lifelong affair with the great outdoors. He spent many childhood summers with his namesake, the late Harry B. Austin, in Wyoming within the shadow of the Tetons, where he learned to hunt the land and fish the Snake River. Harry learned to ride horses and rope on his mother's family ranch and he grew up golfing with his father and friends at Colonial Country Club in Ft. Worth. He was an avid fisherman competing in bass tournaments, navigating the Mangroves in Florida for Snook, and fly fishing the rivers of Colorado. He always loved going to Pensacola Beach, where he swam, collected seashells, got a fantastic tan, and parasailed high into the sky with a grin from ear to ear. When he wasn't hunting, fishing, swimming, hiking, or golfing, you would find him gardening, especially growing Texas Tomatoes and making the prayer garden at his church beautiful. Being outdoors in his spare time wasn't enough; he made a career of it working as a Golf Club Professional. He loved interacting with people. He loved teaching the game of golf just as much as he loved playing it. His love for his family only exceeded his passion for the outdoors. A celebration of Harry's life will be at 10:00 AM Saturday, February 15th at Cokesbury United Methodist Church, 5725 N 9th Ave, Pensacola, FL 32504. There will be a graveside service at Greenwood Memorial Park in Ft. Worth, Texas, at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Harry's name to Cokesbury United Methodist Church.