Shirley Warren Austin

Shirley Warren Austin, 72, of Owensboro, died Tuesday, August 29, 2006 at Owensboro Medical Health System. Born in Owensboro, the youngest of nine children of the late William Edgar and Mary Louise Tucker Warren, she became the matriarch of the family and was the last of her brothers and sisters to pass away. Following her marriage, as her husband Darrel served in the military and began his civilian career, they lived in Evansville, Owensboro, Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan, Paducah, Danville, VA, and Frankfort, during some of which time she worked for Clark Construction in Owensboro and the Paducah television station. Returning to Owensboro in 1963, she worked for Green Coal Company until 1977, when she opened the Executive Inn Rivermont as General Manager, a position she held until her retirement in 1991. Mrs. Austin had served as president of the Owensboro chapter of the American Business Womens Association, the board of directors of the Owensboro-Daviess County Tourist Commission, the Governors Advisory Board on Tourism, the Kentucky Film Commission, and was a Kentucky Colonel. She was also preceded in death by her grandson, Robert Austin Meythaler, in 2001.

Survivors include her husband of 56 years, Darrel R. Austin; her children, Teri Meythaler and her husband Bob of Owensboro, and Gary Austin and his wife Beth of Bowling Green; and her grandchildren, Nicholas Velde Meythaler of New York City, NY, Bradford Scott Meythaler of Owensboro, and Christopher Warren Austin and William Tyler Austin, both of Bowling Green; and several nieces and nephews.

Services, officiated by the Rev. Michael Foraker, are at 2:30 p.m. Friday at Glenn Funeral Home, where visitation will be from 4:00 until 8:00 p.m. Thursday and after 1:00 p.m. Friday. Burial will be in Calhoun Cemetery.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to the Robert Austin Meythaler Foundation, Inc., 1512 College Drive Owensboro, KY 42301.