William Harold Leslie Auten of Baton Rouge, LA, native of Buffalo, NY, passed away peacefully in the comfort of his home surrounded by family on June 6, 2021. Survived by wife of 45 years Barbara Wingerter Auten and children Matthew (Jacqueline) Auten of Morgantown, W VA, Maureen (Jason) Tassin of Covington, and William (Amy) Auten Jr., Christopher (Tracey) Auten, Amie (Arthur) Wager, 10 grandchildren, a dear aunt Nancy Delo all of New York, and his loyal service dog, Tucker. Preceded in death by his parents William F. Auten and Marguerite Winney Auten Vogt of Buffalo, New York. William was a helicopter pilot for 45 years. He began his career proudly serving his country in the United States Army in 1969. He served two tours in Vietnam and ended his service as Captain in Fort Knox, KY. He was awarded several medals including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Medal and Purple Heart. He was a pilot for 35 years for Petroleum Helicopters in Lafayette, LA; 18 of those years were spent flying EMS medical emergency flights. He protected many lives and saved many others throughout his career. His family is proud of the work he did. He was a loving father and Eagle Scout that enjoyed the outdoors, white water rafting, archery and gathering with fellow veterans in the Bangladesh group. He was proud of his service in the Army, the veterans he served with and the country he served. He volunteered for the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, the Audubon Zoo and Aquarium, and The Louisiana Parole Project. He loved to travel and especially enjoyed two trips to the Serengeti in Tanzania with his wife Barbara. He remained friends with several of his guides there. Visitation at 9:00 and Mass at 10:00 will be held at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Baton Rouge, LA on June 18, 2021. In his memory, the family requests that donations be made to Alzheimer’s Services of the Capital Area (alzbr.org), The Louisiana Parole Project, or Wounded Warriors.
