Paul Steven Austin

Born on January 16th, 1959, Paul grew up in Berkeley, Michigan, with his parents Joe and Kathryn Austin, his brothers Jim, Larry, and Rick, and his sister Mary. As a young man, he loved waterskiing, was a talented mechanical drafter, and had a passion for cars—fixing engines, doing body work, and driving them just a little too fast.

Paul met his wife, Carol, at Berkeley High School when he was a dashing, 17-year-old hellraiser. They married in 1980. Paul left us just a few months shy of their 46th wedding anniversary. Paul and Carol raised three children together: Kelly (44), Michael (41), and Sarah (39). Paul adored Carol and his children with a depth and devotion that was clear to everyone who knew him - it was at the heart of everything he did. In his family's eyes, he was perfectly imperfect, unapologetically himself, and loved beyond measure.

Paul was a machinist by trade. His first job was sweeping the parking lots at a machine shop in Auburn Hills, Michigan, when he was just 10 years old. When someone told him he was doing it wrong, he quit on the spot, giving a glimpse of the unwavering determination that would mark his years ahead. In 1979, Paul was hired at that same machine shop and served in a leadership role there for 20 years. In 2010, Paul and Carol moved to Colorado to be closer to their children. There, he continued to work in the machining industry until his retirement in 2025.

Paul gave his all and then some to everything he touched and to everyone he met. He loved, in his own words, “good-hearted people… and my bees.” Beneath his tough, external “attack-and-take-over” shell was a kind and gentle heart. He was a quick wit, always ready with a joke - quality notwithstanding. Paul loved cracking a beer on the lake while fishing with his son, camping with Carol and his kids, or puttering in his garage while whistling a Garth Brooks tune. Beekeeping was a favorite hobby, and he loved tending to his hives – sometimes with one of his four grandchildren in tow, dressed in a junior beekeeper suit that he proudly bought for them.

Paul was a jack of all trades and could show you how anything worked. Let one grievance slip about a minor household malfunction, and he would appear on your porch with his toolbox in hand. He wouldn’t quit until he left the broken thing better than he found it. You wouldn't hear a word of complaining - though you probably would hear some swear words.

Paul’s immediate family will hold a private remembrance this week, with a larger memorial gathering planned in Michigan this spring to celebrate his life. Paul is survived by his wife Carol; his three children, Kelly, Michael and Sarah; his siblings Larry, Rick and Mary; and his four grandchildren, Poppy (12), Mira (9), Emmett (7), and Lily (4). Each one of his family counts themselves lucky to have known the man who taught them how to work hard, not to take themselves too seriously, and to give everything for the people they love. We will miss him dearly, and hold our cherished memories of him close to our hearts always.