Austin Edward Brooks, Jr. died on May 11, 2025, at home surrounded by his family. He was born on August 10, 1938, in Fort Wayne, IN to Austin Edward Brooks, Sr., and Gertrude (Wilson) Brooks. He graduated from Northside High School in 1957. When he arrived on the Wabash campus in the fall of 1957, he had no idea he would return to Wabash to spend his entire academic career and Crawfordsville would become his home. After graduating from Wabash in 1961, he attended graduate school to study Biology at IU – Bloomington, earning a PhD in 1965.
He married Eva Lucille (Lucy) Clark in 1963. After IU he accepted a post-doctoral fellowship to study at Brown University in Providence, RI, where their first child, Timothy Austin, was born. In the fall of 1966 they returned to Crawfordsville, where Austin taught Biology at Wabash for 38 years before retiring in 2004. During that time, their second child, Laura Beth, was born. While at Wabash, Austin pioneered many innovative teaching techniques, including organizing with colleague and dear friend Bill Doemel the Wabash Aquatic Biology Program. For four summers,
this program provided 15 students the opportunity to spend 6 weeks in a different wilderness setting including Yellowstone, the Boundary Waters and Northern Wisconsin, the Florida Keys, and the Northeast Coast. He also developed a patented technique which allowed a blind
student to feel microscopic images. Additionally, he eagerly supported the use of technology and computers as teaching tools and pursued research worldwide with sabbaticals and research trips to such diverse locations as Hamburg, Germany, Bangkok, Thailand, Johns Hopkins University and the Pacific Northwest.
After retirement Austin became involved in several community organizations including the Friends of Sugar Creek, the Youth Service Bureau, the Park Board, and served as both an elder and deacon for his church, the Wabash Avenue Presbyterian Church. In retirement he was able
to pursue his many hobbies which included fly fishing with his buddy, David Hadley, wood carving, especially song birds, turning wooden bowls, travel and biking.
He is survived by his wife (Lucy) of 61 years, his two children Tim (Kathy) and Laura (Brian), four grandchildren Lizzie (Josh), Delaney, Jenna, and Nathan and two great-grandchildren, Jazmyn and Dekan. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, sister and great-
granddaughter.
A celebration of his life will be held at a later time. Donations in his memory can be made to Wabash College, The Friends of Sugar Creek or the Youth Service Bureau.
"Dear Old Wabash, thy loyal sons shall ever love thee . . ." Aus most certainly did!

A memorial service is scheduled for 11:00 AM,  August 2 at Salter Hall at the Wabash College Fine arts Center with a reception to follow.