The Rev. Donald F. Austin

The Rev. Donald F. Austin, 89, passed away Saturday, September 16, 2023, at his home.

Rev. Austin was born July 14, 1934, in Leicester to the late Albert Furman Austin and Meta Ingle Austin. He was a graduate of Candler High School and Berea College and received his Masters degree in Horticulture from Clemson University. He served in the National Guard and spent his more than 30-year career teaching in the Buncombe County School System, with 20 years at Erwin High School. He was a member and former associate pastor of Temple Baptist Church as well as being former Principal, Administrator and teacher at Temple Baptist School.

His family include his wife of 63 years, Vivian Teague Austin; daughter, Donna Maynor (Charles), son, Alan Austin (Carrie); grandchildren, Savannah Creasman (Charles), Austin Maynor, Seth Austin (Ashton), Kylie Austin and Keira Austin, one great-grandson, Clayton Creasman; siblings, Alberta Watts, George Austin (Gail), Joe Austin (Linda); Doris Revis (Jerry), and brothers-in-law, Bill Teague (Linda) and Ralph Teague (Liz).

He was preceded in death by a granddaughter, Holly Noel Maynor and by siblings, Wilma “Tootsie” Miller, Mary Frances Roberts, Kathleen Fish (and the late Jerry Fish) and Paul Austin (& his surviving wife, Doris).

Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday in the Patton Avenue chapel of Groce Funeral Home with Pastors Patrick Creed, III, and Johnny Wright officiating and Austin Maynor representing the family. Interment will follow at Beulah Baptist Church Cemetery.

His family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Monday at Groce Funeral Home on Patton Avenue.

Memorial may be made to the Temple Baptist Church Mission Fund.

The funeral service will be live-streamed on this site.

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