Joshua "Brady" Austin

Joshua "Brady" Austin, 29, stepped into eternity on February 18, 2025. Born in San Antonio, Texas, on September 10, 1995, Brady attended school in Gas City, Indiana, through his sophomore year and then finished his final two years of high school in Kentucky, graduating from West Jessamine County in 2014. Born with a severe case of spina bifida that left him confined to a wheelchair, Brady, who was not expected to survive birth, lived a joy-filled life for almost three decades.

Brady loved movies, probably none more than The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter series. While typically kind-hearted and gentle, Brady also possessed the stout heart of a hobbit, fighting bravely and nobly through innumerable physical challenges. He delighted in being called "The Boy Who Lived," which was tattooed on his arm with accompanying glasses and lightning bolt.

Brady loved basketball. Through his teen years he loved playing basketball almost every single night (Doc will swear in a court of law that Brady once made 14 shots in a row, mostly from 15-17 feet). He loved playing videogames, especially any new NBA2K. He had a hat for every NBA team carefully and beautifully displayed in his bedroom. He loved the Boston Celtics.

Brady is survived by his mother and his best friend, Bethany Cole, and stepfather, Aaron, of Lancaster, Kentucky; his father, William "Joe" Austin, of Grove City, Ohio; his maternal grandparents, Mark "Doc" and Terri (Rutherford) "Nana" Smith, also of Lancaster, Kentucky; his paternal grandfather, William Austin Sr., of Hayesville, North Carolina. In addition, he is survived by his sister, Halle Faulkner, and her husband, Charles, and their children, Emilia, Ada Grace, and Rhett; Aunt Erin Schneider and her children, Sloan and Blair, of Ludlow, Kentucky; and Aunt Monica Watkins of Jacksonville, Florida; his favorite cousin, Kolby Rutherford, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and many other uncles, aunts, and cousins. Brady also loved his two dogs, Winnie and Max, and the family cats, Harley and Sirius Black. He was preceded in death by many relatives, including his beloved maternal great-grandmother, Gloria "Mamaw" Rutherford.

A memorial service will be handled by Ebright Funeral Home in Frankfort, Ohio, with service date pending. If you would like to make a donation in Brady's memory, the family asks that you consider the Spina Bifida Association by using the link below.