Coke Hairston Dilworth

Coke Hairston Dilworth was born February 6, 1936, in Austin, to Collett B. Dilworth and Mary Jo (Hairston) Dilworth. He attended public schools and graduated from Austin High School in 1954. After serving in the U.S. Army, he graduated from the University of Texas with a Bachelor of Architecture in 1963. He worked at several Austin architecture firms in the 1960s and eventually moved into management positions in the construction industry, before retiring in 1995.

Coke was a talented photographer and created several multi-screen slideshows set to music. In 1972, he started a do-it-yourself photo lab, The Darkroom, located on Duval St. in Austin. Perhaps his proudest accomplishment was serving as unofficial staff photographer for the Armadillo World Headquarters. Beginning when it opened and through the 1970s, he captured images of many of the great musical acts that found their way to the Armadillo stage. A collection of his photographs from this period has been digitally preserved at the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas. https://digitalcollections.briscoecenter.org/collection/555

An early personal computer enthusiast, Coke started one of the first user group bulletin boards in Austin, the Hub, which he ran from the mid-1980s until 1993. Coke was a proud liberal Texan and a devoted member of the Yeller Dawg Democrats, an informal Saturday morning meet-up for fellow travelers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the group moved to Zoom, where Coke served as moderator until shortly before his death.

Coke is survived by Mary, his wife of 40 years; brother Collett B. Dilworth, Jr.; daughter Leah C. Dilworth; son Wolf B. Dilworth and wife Melinda; step-daughters Shannon Hoagland and Shawn Hoagland Stalzer; and two grandsons, Louis C. Staub and Peter Z. Staub. He was preceded in death by his son Coke Bryant Dilworth (1962-1993).