Austin Warner — the best friend, the son — will be remembered by family and friends as a valued young man who was as quirky as he was kind.
Jessica Williams, Austin’s best friend since first grade, said Austin may have been shy around people he didn’t know, but his vibrant character surfaced with familiarity.
“You never knew what to expect from him,” Williams said. “He was very silly. He joked around a lot, and he was very smart.”
Austin graduated from Hudson High School in Lufkin, Texas, where he grew up and spent most of his life. He graduated No. 7 in his class.
“He was a genius,” Williams said. “He was the smartest person I ever knew.”
Austin was the first person in his family to attend college for four years. His mother, Susan Carter, said even though it took him awhile to declare a major, Austin was close to finishing college.
Austin finally decided on a major in communication. Williams said he was on top of things and always had some idea of what he wanted to do.
“You never had to wonder,” Williams said. “He had it all together.”
She said Austin even thought about moving to a big city to become an actor.
“You never knew what was going to come out of his mouth; he was very unpredictable,” Jessica said. “Not a drama queen — I wouldn’t call him that, but he could act pretty well.”
Austin also loved being outdoors. Bill Warner, Austin’s father, said they used to ride four-wheelers through the woods when Austin was on vacation from school.
“We had a deer lease that we rode through,” Bill said. “He loved riding through the woods; he loved nature. He would go out in the woods by himself and sometimes he would worry me about being gone so long.”
Austin also planned trips for his family members, who are spread along the East Coast, to get together once a year for a family reunion.
“It was always his big job of the year. He would sit around comparing airline reservations,” Susan said. “The family all said they’re really going to miss him.”
Austin died of an illness in Sabine County Hospital in Hemphill, Texas. His death was as sudden to his best friend as it was to his family.
“Life after Austin, you know, it’s hard, but I know the kind of person he was: very positive, an encourager, and he wanted to see me do the best I could do,” Williams said.
Bill said he remembers talking with his son on the phone after every Aggie football game.
“He was very into the football games; he went to almost every home game,” Bill said.
Austin’s father also said Texas A&M was Austin’s first choice during high school.
“A&M was his pick; he loved A&M,” Bill said. “Some people were trying to go to UT, but his first preference, and all of our preference, was for him to go to A&M.”
Friends and family miss Austin’s calm, caring nature, loving spirit and unwavering friendship.
“He was the greatest friend that I ever had,” Williams said. “I miss him a lot. He knew everything about me, and we just had that friendship — it’s just something that you never replace.”