Memorial service for Helen Grace (Cook) Austin, age 91, of Decatur will be 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 30, 2024, at Parkway Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Steve Ledbetter officiating. The family will receive friends for one hour prior to service.
Mrs. Austin, who died Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at Decatur Health & Rehabilitation, was born March 2, 1933, in Houston, TX to Charles L. Cook and Marian (Gerstner) Cook. She was preceded in death by her parents and three sisters, Edith Mayer, Alice Mayfield, and Ethel Woodby. Mrs. Austin earned her PhD from the University of Alabama and was a professor at Calhoun Community College. She was a member of Daughters of the American Revolution, Tennessee Valley Genealogical Society, and Austin Family Association of America. She was also an art teacher and her hobby was genealogy.
She is survived by her husband, Vernon V. Austin; two sons, Alan V. Austin and Mark R. Austin; and two grandchildren, Zach Austin and Shannon Stull.
In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests memorial donations be made to Calhoun Community College Library (Calhoun College Foundation – Library Fund, P. O. Box 2216, Decatur, AL 35609-2216) or the Decatur Public Library (504 Cherry Street, N.E., Decatur, AL 35601).
