Harold Elton Austin

Harold Elton “Buster” Austin, 81, was born December 17, 1943, in Shreveport, LA and entered eternal rest on Friday, December 12, 2025, after a long battle, surrounded by family who loved him.

Buster graduated from Woodlawn High School in 1962 and married the love of his life, Yvonne Racine, in1963. He was a master of many trades, becoming well-known and respected for his talent, creativity, quality of work, dependability, and integrity. He learned the auto paint and body trade from his father, then mastered the glasswork trade, and to provide stability for his young family, he hired on at the GE transformer plant when it first opened in Shreveport. He began there as a painter, then attended a vo-tech to advance into welding, becoming foreman of his department. When one of his better guys was slated to be laid off, he volunteered his position, leaving to obtain his real estate license. This provided the first opportunity for him and Yvonne to work together, establishing a successful real estate business.

After a downturn and a health scare with Yvonne required suspending the real estate practice, he quickly transitioned to commercial wall coverings to keep the bills paid. As with every trade he mastered, he intuitively developed the most efficient methods for producing the most perfect results. As Yvonne’s health improved, she began to work with him in his new profession. As a two-person team, their reputation for quality and efficiency brought them large commercial jobs, traveling out of state and spending literally 24 hours a day together, outperforming much larger crews. Eventually, Yvonne decided to cut out the middleman and became a licensed general contractor, with Buster becoming a licensed paint contractor. Together, they created a well-respected commercial construction business that operated solely on word-of-mouth but due to their quality and cost-effectiveness, their small company was regularly named in large no-bid projects. With her planning, their management and his hard work, they were able to retire in 2015. Although fully mastering many trades and earning a reputation for excellence in each, he remained humble in nature.

His was a life well-lived, with the conscious decision to live his life in a way which embodied lovingkindness and being of generous spirit. He consistently demonstrated that his family was his top priority, and enjoyed activities with his grandchildren and great grandchildren well into his later years. He was supportive of others’ interests and goals, and was unabashedly the biggest cheerleader for many. He was always eager to brighten someone’s day, regardless of their station in life, using his sense of humor and infectious smile.

Buster was trustworthy, a hard worker, a deeply caring servant of the Lord, fiercely loyal and protective of his family and friends, and an outstanding example of strength and grace through difficult times. We are proud to have known and loved him and are immensely grateful and deeply honored to call ourselves his children and grandchildren.

Buster was preceded in death by his parents, Algar and Lois Austin, his beloved wife of 56 years, Yvonne Racine Austin, sister Sue Falgoust and beloved grandson, Jared Wayne Smith. Left to cherish his memory are his children, Renée Austin Nance and husband David, Cheryl Austin Smith and husband Jeff, and Harold E. Austin, Jr. and wife Marisela; sisters, Carolyn Grant and Janet Isaac; grandchildren, Cherie Groninger and husband Luke, Rachel Ward and husband Wesley, Joshua Ponder and wife Olivia, Cierra Aguillard and husband Aven, and Jeremy Smith; great-grandchildren, Ava and Bella Ward, Hudson and Kennedy Groninger, Sawyer and Paisley Ponder, and Grayson and Caden Aguillard; and extended family and dear friends.

The family will receive friends Sunday, December 21, 2025, at 1 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2500 Southside Dr., Shreveport, LA with Memorial Services following at 2 p.m. Sunday, December 21, 2025. Interment will follow at Spring Ridge Cemetery in Pleasant Hill, LA. Pallbearers will be Harold E. Austin, Jr., Jeff and Jeremy Smith, Luke Groninger, Aven Aguillard and Olan Davis. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the charity of your choice.