Jimmie T. Austin, LtCol USAF(Ret)

[BLUEHAWK]

Lt. Col. Jimmie T. Austin (1934-2010)













Lt. Col. Jimmie T. Austin, USAF (Ret.), age 76, passed away Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010. Jimmie was born on Nov. 10, 1934, near Wellman, Texas, to Harold and Madge Austin. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Ruth Ahrberg Austin, and his three children and six grandchildren; Anita and Carl Stone of Keller, Texas, their children Jeff and Joe; Debbie and T.K. Smith of San Antonio, Texas, their children Austin and Taylor; and Jim and Jennifer Austin of Denton, Texas, their children Katy and Zach. He was preceded in death by his parents, and survived by two brothers and three sisters, Col. Hal Austin, USAF (Ret.), Evelyn Barger, Jo Carroll Dycus, Lt. Col. Don Austin, USAF (Ret.), and Dardanella (Dart) Allmendinger.

Jim spent most of his youth in Carlsbad, N.M., and graduated from high school there in 1953. After working his way through a few years at New Mexico State University, Jim entered the Air Force in 1957 in San Antonio, Texas. He graduated from flight school in Enid, Okla., where he met his future wife, Ruth Marie Ahrberg, a school teacher. They married on August 19, 1961.

Jim flew B-47s, B-52s and T-39s as part of the Strategic Air Command (SAC). Flying bombers was his childhood dream. Jim and Ruth's travels with the Air Force took them to Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, Clinton Sherman AFB, Okla., Mather AFB, Calif., Offutt AFB, Neb., and Grand Forks AFB, N.D. During the Vietnam War Jim went on four six month tours, flying 190 missions.

During one tour he missed the birth of his son and during his last tour he finished his class work and in May 1973 earned his BA in Business Administration. Jim was a very dedicated, proud, and patriotic Air Force officer; he retired in 1979 to Colorado Springs, Colo., as a Lieutenant Colonel with over 5,000 flying hours as a Command Pilot. His military decorations include: the Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal with 8 Oak Leaf Clusters, and numerous other awards and decorations.

During his second career in Colorado Springs he was licensed as a Home Builder and a Real Estate Broker. He spent most of his time selling steel products to homebuilders. He really enjoyed working and continued to work until February 2008 at the age of 73 when they moved to San Antonio, due to Ruth's illness and to be closer to his children. He was a very attentive, caring, and active husband and father, never missing a school function for his children. Even though his children moved out of Colorado he continued to visit them and his grandchildren often. Jim is loved and will be deeply missed by his family and friends.

A service will be held Monday, Dec. 20, 2010, at 2pm at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 1416 N. Loop 1604 E., San Antonio, Texas, followed by an interment and then a reception in the Parish Hall. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Strategic Air and Space Museum, 28210 West Park Highway, Ashland, NE 68003. You are invited to sign the guestbook at http://www.missionparks.com/ and select obituaries.


Published in Carlsbad Current-Argus on December 17, 2010