Dr. Max Austin Jr.

J. Max Austin Jr., MD passed away peacefully in the early morning hours on Wednesday, August 14, 2024. Son of a dairy farmer, he was a gifted surgeon, but to all who knew him he was much more than his work. A life-long learner, gifted teacher, mentor, and lover of people. A husband, father, grandfather, and friend. Passionate in his interests and active in his community. He took interest in the lives of everyone he met, and he made a life of pouring all that he could into every opportunity and person he was given the chance.

Born April 28, 1941, to James Max Austin Sr. and Edna Erle Turner Austin of Wetumpka, AL, he was the oldest of three siblings, with two sisters. Early in his upbringing, he worked alongside his family on their dairy farm, a heritage that provided him with a strong work ethic throughout his life. In his teens, Dr. Austin decided to go into medicine. He enrolled at the Oxford College of Emory University in 1959, where he met the love of his life, Nancy Jane Musgrove of Homerville, GA. The couple then completed their bachelor’s degrees at Emory University in Atlanta, and they were married in July of 1963 shortly after graduating. With what little they had at the time, they moved to Birmingham, where a young Max became Dr. Austin as he earned his Doctor of Medicine from the Medical College of Alabama, now the UAB School of Medicine.

Dr. Austin then went on to complete internships and residencies at Mobile General Hospital, Emory University, and the Medical College of Alabama, where he became Chief Resident in 1971. He also served as a Major and Chief of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Homestead Air Force Base in Florida from 1971 to 1973. In true pioneer fashion, Dr. Austin became the first fellow in Gynecologic Oncology at UAB in 1973. He also completed a Gynecological Fellowship in Norway in 1974. For twenty-three years, he was in private practice while also serving as a faculty member at UAB. In 2000, he closed his practice so that he could join the UAB Division of Gynecologic Oncology as a full-time professor. After 14 years as a professor, he would go on to serve as Margaret Spain Chair of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Director of Philanthropic Initiatives for the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Professor Emeritus of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Passionate about teaching, Dr. Austin had a significant influence on the education and training of medical students, obstetrics & gynecology residents, and gynecologic oncology fellows for four decades. During his tenure, he contributed over 75 articles and abstracts to professional publications in his field, and he trained 42 fellows and over 250 residents—remembering each of them through the end of his life. Relationships mattered most to Dr. Austin, and he said the most rewarding experience in his medical career was the education and training of his students, residents, and fellows. Developing and fostering those relationships, teaching and passing on practical knowledge, and preparing people for leadership were of great importance to him.

Dr. Austin served in many leadership roles in regional and national organizations throughout his life. He was a charter member of the Alabama Society of Clinical Oncology, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG). Serving for a time as Chair of the Alabama Section of ACOG, he was also inducted as an Alabama Legend in 2015. He was a member of the Greater Birmingham Obstetrical & Gynecological Society, the Alabama Association of Obstetrics & Gynecology, the Medical Association of the State of Alabama, the Jefferson County Medical Society, and the American Medical Association.

UAB recognized Dr. Austin with many honors, including the J. Max Austin Jr., MD Professorship of Gynecological Oncology, the J. Max Austin Endowed Chair of Gynecology, and the Excellence in Medical Student Education Award. The UAB Medical Alumni Association honored him with their Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2007. He was also nominated numerous times by his UAB medical students for teaching awards, including the Excellence in Medical Student Education Award for seven straight years. In 2010, Dr. Austin was awarded the Paul W. Burleson Award by the Medical Association of the State of Alabama.

Outside of his medical career, he held a high regard for civic engagement and was actively involved in his community. He was a member of the inaugural class of Leadership Alabama in 1990 and a member of the Leadership Birmingham class of 1986. He was also an active member of the Rotary Club of Birmingham for over fifty years, attending meetings well into the final year of his life.

Dr. Austin and his wife Nancy resided in Birmingham, AL, and enjoyed spending time at Lake Martin. He took great pride in his two children, Lindsey and Max, and in his five grandchildren. A man of great personal faith, he also served for many years as a deacon at Brookwood Baptist Church. Having never left the farm entirely behind, he had a part-time life as a timber farmer, traveling to Elmore County weekly to care for his family’s land. He was fond of antique cars and tractors, collecting many over the years, along with small replicas that were often found on his desk or bookshelf next to framed notes, photos, and other mementos from former patients.

He is preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his wife of over 61 years, Nancy Musgrove Austin; Children: Lindsey Austin Trammell Dungan (Jeffrey) and James Maxwell Austin III (Shannon); Grandchildren: Patrick Lee Trammell III, Nancy Austin Trammell, David Benson Necaise, Lily Kate Necaise, and Molly Maxwell Austin; Sisters: Jacqueline Erle Austin and Dana Austin-LaFrance; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Friends are cordially invited to the Memorial Service on Monday, the 19th of August at 1:00pm followed by a Visitation with the family. Both the Memorial Service and Visitation will be held at Brookwood Baptist Church, located at 3449 Overton Road, Mountain Brook, AL 35223.

In lieu of usual remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions honoring the life of Dr. Austin be directed to the Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Foundation.