John Horne Austin

Dr. John Horne Austin, 70, of Aiken, entered into rest on Thursday, August 22, 2013, following a long battle with cancer.

Born in Indianapolis, he was a son of the late Charles Dingee & Eleanor Cleaver Austin. He was a resident of Aiken for the past 15 years and formerly resided in the Washington, D.C. area for over 30 years. Dr. Austin received a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from North Carolina State University in 1972, his MS in Engineering Science from the University of California at Berkeley in 1969, and his BS in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University in 1967. He was a graduate of Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, IN. He had a 26 year career in nuclear safety at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, preceded by several years at various Department of Energy national laboratories. Dr. Austin was an avid nature lover and gardener and enjoyed many off-the-beaten-path road trips in the U.S. He led a support group in South Carolina for those with a very rare lymphoma.

Survivors include his loving wife, Paula Wade Austin of Aiken; a son, Karl Austin (Andrea) of Potomac, MD, a daughter, Katy Szczepanik (Jason) of Norcross, GA; brothers, George Austin (Kathy) of Bronxville, NY, Dan Austin (Marti) of Chattanooga, TN and Bill Austin of Raleigh, NC; 5 grandchildren, Korinne Austin, Holden Austin, Porter Austin, Owen Szczepanik and Maya Szczepanik.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 7, 11:00 a.m., at George Funeral Home in downtown Aiken, SC, followed by a "celebration of life" reception at the historic Willcox Inn.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to "IWMF" (International Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia Foundation), www.iwmf.com or Regency Hospice of Aiken, 105 Summerwood Way, Suite D, Aiken, SC, 29803.

Expressions of sympathy for the Austin family may be left online at www.georgefuneralhomes.com