Bobby leaves behind his beloved wife of 51 years, Brenda Henson Austin; daughter Lana Austin; son Frankie Austin (Courtney); grandchildren Kabell and Presley Austin; sister Doris Austin Tomlin (Earl); and many special nephews and nieces.

Bobby was preceded in death by his father, Robert Earl Austin, and his mother, Katie Gilbert Austin, and sister Joyce Austin Rice.

As a child, Bobby was in the Boy Scouts and his father was a Scout leader. Throughout his life Bobby loved working on anything with an engine, enjoyed riding his motorcycle, and often spent time with his children and nephews on his boat at Elon and Lake Moomaw. He loved country music and old westerns and could often be found watching “Bat Masterson” or “Gunsmoke” at full volume.

Bobby retired from Mohawk Industries in 2013 after 44 years of dedicated service. He then made it his mission to spoil his grandchildren as much as possible. He passed down his love of tinkering on automobiles to his grandson Kabell and made sure his precious Presley was always treated like a princess.

Bobby’s unique laugh was contagious and will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him.

A memorial service will be held at Bolling Gross and Lotts Funeral Home on Tuesday, May 20, at 2 p.m. with visitation one hour before.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Buena Vista Fire Department.

We would like to send a special thank you to the nurses from Connections Plus Hospice for their gentle and thorough care of Bobby until the end.

Arrangements are being handled by Bolling, Grose, & Lotts Funeral Home and Cremation Services. NG