Bruce Raymond Austin, son of the late Jesse and Myrtle Ann Shreve Austin, was born on December 14, 1935, in East Prairie, Missouri, and departed this life at the age of 86 on Wednesday, December 29, 2021, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, surrounded by loved ones.

After graduating from East Prairie High School in 1953, he attended Southeast Missouri State University for two years before joining the US Navy.  Upon completing Navy boot camp, he decided to become a Navy Corpsman and graduated at the top of his class, subsequentially choosing to serve at Bethesda Naval Hospital in the newly formed Iodine-131 Radioisotope Program.  Following four years of military service, he attended mortuary school at Cincinnati College of Embalming where he graduated Summa Cum Laude.

Upon graduation he returned to East Prairie and began working for McMikle Funeral Home.  During that time, he was introduced to Myrtle "Sisser" Goodin by a mutual friend and the pair were married in 1963.  He and his beloved Sisser remained married for 53 years until her death in 2016.  Bruce left the funeral business and began farming with his father-in-law, Sam Cox Goodin, eventually taking over the family farm which he enjoyed until his retirement in 1998.

Bruce and Myrtle had three sons, Stephen (Sherry), Sam, and David (Elizabeth) and six grandchildren (Catherine Jane, Reagan Kate, Ryan James, Alex Samuel, Matthew Gibson, and Rory Bruce).  He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Victor and Kenneth, sister Leola, his wife and his son, Stephen.

Active in his community, Bruce was Charleston Lions Club Man of the Year in 1999.  He was former President and member of the Charleston R-1 School Board; Mississippi County Library Board Member; Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 323; Administrative Board of Charleston UMC; and Board Member of the Missouri Veteran's Home in Cape Girardeau.

One of the greatest joys in his life was his affiliation with the Masonic fraternity.  He was a 50-year member of Charleston Lodge #407 and was forever honored to serve as Grand Master of Missouri AF&AM in 2008.  He was a 33 ^rd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, York Rite Mason, Knights Templar and Shriner.

Visitation will be held on Monday, January 3, 2022, from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., at the Charleston United Methodist Church.  Masonic rites will be performed following visitation.

A funeral service on Tuesday, January 4, 2022, at 10:00 a.m., will also be held at the Charleston United Methodist Church with the pastor, Rev. J. Robert Webster, officiating.

Interment with military honors will follow in IOOF Cemetery in Charleston, Missouri.

Pallbearers will be grandsons Ryan, Alex, Matthew and Rory Austin and nephews Scott Brink, Flipper Naile and Frank Goodman.  Honorary pallbearers are all of the Masons that Bruce considered his brothers.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Charleston United Methodist Church ( www.charlestonumc.org ), or PO BOX 351, Charleston, MO 63834; The Masonic Home of Missouri ( www.mohome.org ) or The Maren Fund ( www.marenfund.org ), an organization focused on improving the academic ability of individuals with disabilities.

McMikle Funeral Home of Charleston is in charge of arrangements.

Online condolences may be shared at www.mcmiklefuneralhome.com