John R. Austin

On July 13, 2017, John Russell Austin passed away at sixty-five years of age after selflessly challenging stage IV kidney cancer for over thirteen years.  He is survived by his wife of forty-six years, Ann Dee, and his two sons, Travis (Lisa) and Joel (Melanie).  He was the proudest grandfather to Jake, Ava, Eli, and Sydney.  He is also survived by his younger siblings, Rick (Chris) and Robin, niece (Bethany), and nephews (Jereme and Shane) and great-niece Madison.

He was born to his late parents, George Austin, Jr. and Evelyn Leona Culver in Janesville, Wisconsin on August 28, 1951.  As a young child, John spent significant time in the hospital battling severe asthma.  His perseverance began to show at an early age while supervising a large paper route and recruiting his brother to do some of the legwork.

After growing up in Janesville, John met Ann Dee while attending the University of Wisconsin – Rock County.  John enlisted in the Army at age nineteen and wed Ann Dee shortly thereafter in 1970.  While overseas in the Army, John played in the Army Band throughout much of Europe.  Upon his return to the States, John attended the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater earning a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting.  While pursuing his degree, he held a variety of seemingly random jobs, including a dispatcher for a trucking company and adjusting car doors at the GM plant.  He continued his education and became a Certified Public Accountant during his time as an auditor at the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.  After being promoted to a District Audit Supervisor in Milwaukee, John attended law school part time at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.  His next position was as a tax manager for Arthur Andersen & Co.

John began and ended his twenty-seven year legal career with Reinhart Law, where he was instrumental in building a state and local tax practice.  John’s excellence in his profession was highly recognized by his peers as he was consistently named in Best Lawyers in America and as a top rated lawyer.  John was very active in the community, serving as a member of the Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants (former chair of the Wisconsin Taxation Committee), as president of the Wisconsin State and Local Tax, Inc., was on the board of directors of both the Waukesha Symphony Orchestra and CC&N, and was a past president of Galilee Lutheran Church in Pewaukee.

Memorial Service will be held at Galilee Lutheran Church, N24 W26430 Crestview Drive in Pewaukee, Wisconsin on Saturday July 22, 2017 at 1:00 PM.  Following service a Gathering for John R. Austin will be held at Krause Funeral Home, 21600 West Capitol Drive in Brookfield, Wisconsin on Saturday, July 22, 2017 from 2:30 PM – 5:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in John’s memory to the Galilee Lutheran Church Columbarium Fund appreciated.