Katye Pierce Austin

On January 12, 2011 Katye Austin got to rejoin her beloved Louis. Her recent years have brought many health struggles which challenged her body but could not overcome her spirit. During her last hours she enjoyed an early birthday celebration and thanked her caregivers for what they had done. Mrs. Austin flowered wherever she was planted. She and Louis lived in Birmingham, Alabama, Rockdale, Texas, Dallas, Houston and back to Dallas, and in between visited countries around the world. She created close friendships wherever they lived or visited and these followed her throughout her life. For the past four years she had lived at the Plaza at the Edgemere where she found another loving family. Mrs. Austin loved reading, gardening and working in her yard, wherever it was. She was a devoted believer in the Lord and a long time and very active member of Royal Lane Baptist Church. But her life revolved around her family and her favorite activity was whatever her children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren were doing at the time. She and Louis were inseparable companions until his death in 1997. The day of her burial will be two days after the sixty-sixth anniversary of their marriage. Katye Lee Austin was born January 24, 1920 in Big Rock, Tennessee. She was preceded in death by her husband, T.L. Austin, Jr., one brother Glenn Pierce and her sister Dean Pierce. She is survived by her daughters Kathryn Surls and husband Lynn of Dallas, Debbie Manning and husband Duncan of Benbrook, TX, her grandchildren Todd Tuggle of Oceanside, CA and his wife Ashley, Kevin Tuggle and his wife Aubrey of Plano, TX and great grandchildren Austin (Bo) Tuggle, Skylar and Marissa Tuggle of Plano, her brothers Dr. Clovis Pierce of Aiken, SC and Bill Pierce of Nashville, TN, many nieces and nephews and their spouses and children across the country. She embraced every entrant into her family and made them feel welcome and loved. The family will be forever grateful for the loving care the staff at the Plaza at the Edgemere provided to Mrs. Austin while she was a resident there. There will be a family visitation from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 16, 2011 at Sparkman-Hillcrest Funeral Home in Dallas. A memorial service in celebration of Mrs. Austin’s life will be held Monday, January 17, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at Royal Lane Baptist Church, 6707 Royal Lane, Dallas, TX 75230, with a reception to follow. The family requests that remembrances be made to Royal Lane Baptist Church or to the Pastoral Counseling Center and Education Center, 4525 Lemmon Ave., Ste. 200, Dallas, TX 75219.