Darrell Keith Austin

April 3, 1935 - September 25, 2019

Darrell Keith Austin was born April 3, 1935 to Robert and Dorothy Butterfield Austin in West Salem, Oregon.  The family moved to the Chemawa/Keizer area in 1946 to a lily farm but quickly converted the land to strawberries and cane berries.  He helped his parents with the farming into his adulthood.  He had four siblings.
                                                                            
Darrell graduated from Salem High School in 1953.  He and Ann L. Lowery were married October 22, 1955.  They met when he was 16 and she was 14.  They have two children, William James and Michele Marie Gardner.
 
Darrell served 8 years as a young man in the Naval Reserves.  He worked for the State Highway Department in Salem for 34 years as a sign maker where he made many highway signs as well the hand-routed rustic historical signs.  He loved to camp, fish, and hunt and crab and clam at the Oregon Coast. He also liked to tinker on vintage cars.
 
Darrell was a life member at Fidelity Lodge #54 AF&AM for 59 years and a life member of Scottish Rite, Salem Valley.  He was a 50 plus year member of OES Gervais Chapter #118 and served as Worthy Patron there 8 times.  He was also a member of OES Adah Chapter #34 in Independence.  He attended Knight Memorial Congregational Church in Salem.   
 
Darrell fell at home in January 2019 and spent the next several months in the hospital and rehab facilities.  His final residence was at Tierra Rose Care Center where he received excellent care until his death on September 25, 2019.  He was 84 years of age.  He is preceded in death by his parents, his sister Darlene M. Lawrence and two brothers, Robert C. and Jack A.   His wife, children, two Aunts, Mable Austin and Iola Butterfield, and his brother Jeff, survive, as well as several in-laws, out-laws, nieces, nephews, and cousins.  Services have been held.  He will be interred at the Gervais Masonic Cemetery at a later date.