Hub Nance Bechtol

Hub Nance Bechtol, 48, of Austin, Texas, passed away on January 11th, 2024. His earnest heart, infuriatingly disarming smile, wicked sense of humor, and unflagging loyalty to family and friends will be missed deeply. Hub never met a stranger, and his kind and generous nature was felt by everyone fortunate enough to have known him.

Hub was born on November 1st, 1975, in Austin, Texas to Sally Lewis Bechtol and Roy A. Bechtol. He was a “spirited” child who had his first car wreck at the age of six, backing the family Suburban down the driveway, through a swing set, and into a stove that was being moved into the house. He was a handful, but also so pure-hearted that few could resist his magnetic charm.

Hub grew up hunting in the Texas Hill Country and in South Texas at the Pinto Valley Ranch with his dad and sister, and fly fishing in New Mexico with his grandfather, Quentin. These family experiences sparked a deep love of the outdoors that permeated Hub’s life. He was a legendary fisherman and a marksman with a gun and bow. He fished on the Pro Bass Circuit and shot one of the largest red stags ever hunted with a bow in New Zealand. Hub was also an avid golfer, another passion he shared with his father, and loved rock climbing, skiing, and guiding river trips down the Grand Canyon. In the last few years, Hub leaned away from hunting and became more devoted to connecting with animals: horses, his beloved pets, owls he tracked, and even the groundhogs in his own backyard. He truly thrived being out in the natural world.

Hub’s mom, determined to bring culture and worldliness to his life, took him and his sister on far-flung adventures – to England, France, Italy, Mexico, and even across the United States on an Amtrak train. He was always curious about the world and excited for whatever new experience presented itself. Getting off the plane to meet his mom in Mexico when he was eleven, he asked if they were going to go to a museum or to the beach first. He seemed genuinely disappointed to find out there were no art museums on the tiny tropical island where they would spend the next month.

Hub attended Stephen F. Austin High School and Huntington Surrey High School, where he caused general mayhem with a group of fiercely devoted friends he maintained a life-long connection to. The other countless best friends he made and kept throughout his life are a testament to the authentic way he loved without judgement.

In 1994, Hub went to college at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. There he was taken under the wing of the Carothers family, authorities in environmental consulting, who led him to a professional life of caring for wildlife and wild places. For the next decade, he worked for SWCA and Cardono ENTRIX as a wildlife biologist, exploring caves, deserts, swamps, and mountain trails. Several species of cave insect are named for Hub, the first person to identify them. He also worked for Planned Environments, Inc. and served as President of Waters of America, building recreational lakes and fisheries. In 2020, Hub moved to Thomas, West Virginia, where he served as the “boots on the ground” for a major development project and became a part of the local community that he grew to love.

Hub married Kathryn Scarborough in 2003 and they had two children, Hub William Bechtol and Hayden Roy Bechtol. They divorced in 2013. Hub’s sons were the true loves of his life. Their memories of their dad include fishing together on Lake Austin, catching a massive carp at Austin Country Club, having him fix their cuts with super glue, hunting at Big Sandy Ranch, eating lots of home-cooked meals he made (some with maybe a little snake included), and skiing together in Vail and Park City. They loved to sing together in the car and music played a big part in the time they shared. Hub was overwhelmingly proud of the smart and compassionate young men they’ve become.

The world overflows with stories of Hub’s adventures, misadventures, achievements, struggles, and the countless big and small good-deeds that made up his time here with us. His kind and untamable spirit, along with the thousands of wild and wonderful moments we all shared with him, will live on forever.

Hub is survived by his sons, Hub William Bechtol and Hayden Roy Bechtol; his parents, Sally Lewis Strickland and her husband, John, and Roy A. Bechtol and his wife, Lynn; his sisters, Bradley Elizabeth Bechtol and her husband, Kenny, and Isabelle Jacalynn Bechtol; his grandmother, Elizabeth “Umpy” Bechtol; his uncles and aunts and cousins; and by innumerable friends.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Hub’s memory to Austin Pets Alive or Meals on Wheels of Central Texas.

A celebration of his life will take place on February 5th at 10:30am at The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, 3201 Windsor Road, Austin, TX. A reception in the church parish hall will immediately follow the service.