Austin Jody Nelson Payne was born in Mobile Alabama on December 15 1980, to Vicki and Jody Payne. The family resided in Mobile before relocating to Stapleton in Baldwin County. He attended elementary and high school at Baldwin County, and graduated in 2002. He left this earthly realm on August 29, 2026.
Austin was a special light, touched by autism and was physical challenges yet full of love and enthusiasm for life. Most would call him non verbal but that wasn’t the case. Those of us who knew him knew how to listen and we communicated with ease.
He loved the Auburn Tigers, the Dallas Cowboys, hockey, soccer and the Olympics. He loved running the roads with his dad and Willie Nelson, but especially loved the picnics. He had a sharp sense of humor and nothing was better than seeing him get tickled. Oh- and he could swipe a Coca Cola faster than Doc Holiday could draw.
He is proceeded in death by his maternal and paternal grandparents, and his father Jody. He is survived by his mother Vicki, his aunts Linda, Sheila and Jenny, and brothers Brad and Waylon.
We deeply loved our angel Austin, and he deeply loved us all back.
