Ronald Austin

Ronald Austin, a Tahlequah resident of 20 years, passed from this life to his eternal one on July 11th 2022, at the age of 87. He was born in Los Angeles, California to Ruth Baum and Verne Austin. Between the ages of 14 to 18 he attended the John Brown Military Academy of the Ozarks. Ron was an accomplished swim coach, a multiple sport athlete, an avid outdoorsman and a veteran of the United States Air Force.
Ron worked as a coach for the San Marcos Baptist Academy in Texas for 40 years. Ron was a pilot, captain of a fishing boat and climbed several Colorado fourteener mountains. Ron spent his younger years as a runner and completed many half and full marathons. He was a touring bicyclist and would routinely ride 50 mile days. Even after retirement, he enjoyed working for the Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission for six years on the Illinois River. However, his greatest passion was swimming and most days were spent at the NSU pool. His love for swimming led him to earn multiple medals at the US Masters swim competitions. He competed in swimming events throughout his life until the final days. He constantly reinforced the positive health benefits of cross training and desired to share his knowledge of athletics. He was not only a coach in life but also in his heart.
Ron once traveled to a Lakota Indian reservation and afterward decided to re-create Plains Indian bows made of traditional materials. He competed many times at the Cherokee Cornstalk shoot and volunteered teaching archery at the United Methodist Children's Home for several years with his wife Angela.
Ron was married to Angela Glenn on May 20th, 2006. Ron and Angela loved to travel to California and Texas to visit family and friends. He was a faithful man of God and a member of the First Baptist Church of Tahlequah.
He leaves behind his wife, Angela Austin of the home, daughter Gayle Austin of Austin, TX, step-daughters Lilly Velotta of Broken Arrow, OK; Gloria Mayhall of Stigler, OK; and Holly Smyth of Woodbury, TN. His grandchildren include Gabriel Reeberg; Alexandra and Blake Velotta; Rowdy, Riley and Brailee Mayhall; and Ashley Rivera. His siblings include Patsy Mansfield, Carole Ritchie, and Don Austin (deceased). He has several nieces and nephews including Victor Austin, Kimberly Hauk and Christy Wheeler Ramirez and will be missed by close friend Donald Mooney.