Marion Austin

Marion Frederick “Butch” Austin, 84, of Columbia, passed away on Thursday, July 4, 2024. He was born in Columbia on March 26, 1940, to Eugene Wesley Austin and Marguerite Muller Austin. Butch was a product of Columbia and Charleston schools and graduated from Dreher High School. Following high school, he graduated from Newberry College in 1962 with a degree in Economics. Butch spent his working years in the banking industry. At various times during his career at C&S National Bank he was an Installment Loan Officer, a Branch Manager, the manager of Installment Loan Central Operations, Vice-President of Systems Credit Card Operations, President of the American Institute of Banking (Columbia) and the President of the Employees Organization and President of the Credit Managers Association. Butch served his community through the Greenville Jaycees, the United Way and the Boy Scouts of America. Butch was a life-long Lutheran. Butch was a member of a number of Lutheran Churches, most recently Incarnation Lutheran Church. He served his church families in many ways including committees, church choirs and as a youth advisor. Butch had a love of music. He was a member of the Charleston County Youth Band, the Dreher High School and Newberry College Marching Bands. While at Newberry College, he played in the Concert and Jazz Bands. Butch was also a singer. He sang in various church choirs, the Canticum Novum A Capella Choir and King’s Men of Redeemer Lutheran Church (Atlanta), The Columbia Mastersingers, and the Arpad Darazs Singers. Butch is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Connie Tiller Austin, and his children, Gene Austin (Lucinda) and Catherine Sexton (Greg). He is also survived by his grandchildren, Rachel Austin; Sarah Austin; Meredith S. Thorndike (Christian); Evelyn S. Tucker (Briggs); and Julia S. Kampe (Andrew); and his great-grandchildren, Bennett and Liam Thorndike; Genevieve Tucker; and Clarice and Catherine Gray Kampe. A memorial service will be held at Incarnation Lutheran Church on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. The Reverends Emily Willhide and Rusty Kehl will officiate. The family will receive friends at the church from 2:00 p.m. until the time of the service. The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to Newberry College or SC Lutheran Retreat Centers.