William Dow Austin, Sr., 92, of Dallas, passed away peacefully on Friday, August 26, 2022. Bill was born in Grand Prairie, Texas, on February 3, 1930, to Wilma Parker Austin and L.D. Austin.
During his childhood, he had a love for airplanes and joined the Civil Air Patrol. Shortly after graduating from Polytechnic High School in 1948, he and a friend bought an airplane together and flew it whenever they could afford fuel. He joined the Air Force in mid-1948 in hopes of becoming a pilot, but instead he was put in charge of an office of draftsmen and surveyors, which changed his sights from becoming a pilot to entering the construction world.
After he was discharged in 1952, he went on a blind date and met his soulmate, Gloria Behringer. They were married six weeks later and shared 66 wonderful years together prior to her passing in 2018. Bill had two sons, William “Dow” Austin, Jr. and Alan.
He took great pride in working for various general contractors during his lifetime. He worked for many years at Inwood Construction and later at J.W. Bateson. It gave him great pride to see the many projects he had worked on throughout the Dallas area and also in 32 other cities. Bill retired in 1993, which gave him time to spend traveling and enjoying family gatherings. He also became very active in woodshop activities at Northway Christian Church, Hobby Crafters and the PVN woodshop where children’s furniture, doll furniture and toys were beautifully constructed. Bill loved knowing that disadvantaged children would enjoy the items his group constructed for many years to come. In his last few years, he was also active at PVN and was a recent PVN Foundation Gateway Society Member ,where he enjoyed working with others in his new community.
Bill is survived by his brothers, Wayne (wife, Janell) and Melvin (wife, Carol), and son, William “Dow”, Jr. (wife, Debbie). Predeceasing him were his wife, Gloria; sister, Linda; and son, Alan. Bill was blessed with five grandchildren, Kristin, Kate, Jordan, Ryan and Janae; five great-grandchildren, Hayden, Ella, Nolan James, Iris and Jack; as well as many nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 12 noon on Thursday, September 1, 2022, in the Chapel of Presbyterian Village North, 8600 Skyline Dr., Dallas, TX, 75243.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Sparkman-Hillcrest.com for the Austin family.
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