James Emanuel Austin

James "Jimmy" Emanuel Austin passed away on November 16, 2023, at the age of 77 in Columbus, Ohio. Born on September 29, 1946, he is survived by his twin brother, Delbert (Linda) Smith, Pittsburgh, PA; sister, Rose Lavender, Steubenville, OH; former spouse, Annette Austin, West Bloomfield, MI; daughters, Shannon “Storme” (Colton) Mason, Columbus, OH; Stacey Austin, Granger, IN; Lindsay (Pablo Celorio) Austin, West Bloomfield, MI; and son, Allen (Charlene) Franklin, Columbus, OH; nine grandchildren; seven great grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins.

He is also survived by his partner and devoted caregiver, Jennifer St. Clair, Columbus, OH. He was preceded in death by his mother, Janet Austin and brother, David Brown. Jimmy was a devoted son, always putting his mother’s well-being first. Music and photography were his two passions. His favorite photography subjects were his family and friends. He was the first among his friends in the 1970’s to own a stereo set with the largest speakers he could find, making his apartment the go-to place for hanging out. Jimmy also enjoyed traveling in the family RV and found joy in being
behind the wheel. As a father, he took great delight in following his children’s sports and education endeavors. Jimmy’s fashion sense always included wearing a hat regardless of the season. After retiring, he utilized his employment talents to start a successful business repairing and working with computers. Jimmy also found humor in instances of mistaken identity as an identical twin.

Jimmy attended East High School and later pursued higher education at The Ohio State University and Michigan State University. He served in the United States Navy as an Honor Guard, where he made significant contributions to the military community. Throughout his career, Jimmy held various positions, including as a Coordinator for the New Careers Program at Ohio State University; Labor Relations Representative at the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, MI; as well as positions at Ameritech Publishing (Yellow Pages), Troy, MI; AT&T (SBC, Ameritech, Michigan Bell), Chicago, IL. He later worked at Cincinnati Bell before retiring in 1997. Jimmy started his own business, Creative Works Solutions in 1998 until his recent cancer battle forced him to close shop. In his free time, Jimmy continued pursuing his hobby of photography, capturing moments that held special meaning to him and those around him.

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