Austin Mitchell Huffman

Austin Mitchell Huffman heard you.
Whether you were family, a close friend, a troubled teenager he'd just met or a complete stranger – he listened. Those lucky enough to bend his ear, to be in his presence, will remember him fondly.
Born May 31, 1996 in Indianapolis, Indiana, Austin was loved from the very beginning. He grew up alongside two caring parents, Kara and Kevin, and two loving siblings, Ryan and Ashlyn.
Austin passed Tuesday, August 6, 2024, in Versailles, Kentucky, where he grew up.
Austin was interesting. He could talk and think through philosophy, language, psychology and literature with the best. He always had a thought in the back of his head, if you could lure it out, that contributed to the discussion. He was often the smartest person in the room, and only rarely did he let it on.
Perhaps more importantly, he was also interested. In you, in others, in the world.
Abnormally unburdened by ego, pride, prejudice and self-regard, he had a knack for listening and being there for others. When he listened, he took it all in. He was not thinking of what he would say next. He was listening to you. There was never a situation where this skill did not prove useful and welcome. There was never a situation where you didn't want Austin there. He will be remembered as the greatest listener, the greatest company, of all time. Fortunately, there are no metrics upon which this proclamation can be tested, so it will remain untested (and therefore true) for years to come.
Fittingly, Austin chose to devote his life to the welfare of others. A 2023 graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Social Work, Austin was working to help people navigate the most dire situations. Before that, he worked with some of the state's most vulnerable youth at The Ridge Behavioral Health System. He was a healer.
Austin was a man of simple pleasures. He loved Cheez-its, Oreos and Cocoa Pebbles. He loved Star Wars and Legos. He loved to sleep. He loved to play basketball, and to watch it, too. He loved his dog Homer. He loved to sit and talk. To know Austin was to love him. To love him was to love his laugh. A stone face was his default, but if you said something funny or shot him a look at the right moment, the laughter leapt out of him. It filled any room twice over. Nothing beat the satisfaction of cracking him open and really, genuinely, earning that laugh.
Austin had one tattoo. On his left arm, written in Ancient Greek, were the words "know thyself." For those lucky enough to know him, he helped us know ourselves. He helped us find ourselves. For that we will be forever grateful.
Austin will be lovingly remembered by his parents, Kevin and Kara Adkins Huffman, brother, Ryan (Anna) Huffman, Madison, Alabama, sister, Ashlyn Huffman, Versailles, aunts, Vicki Jolena, Versailles, Ivy Adkins, Clarksville, Tennessee, Sheila Lamb, Avon, Indiana, Janet (Chad) Inman, Fischers, Indiana, Tina Riddle, Monticello, Indiana, paternal grandparents, William and Joyce Huffman, Monticello, Indiana, Maternal grandmother, Beverly Brown, Versailles, Maternal grandfather, Charlie (Carolyn) Adkins, Needham, Indiana. He was preceded in death by his maternal step grandfather, Mirl Brown.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11:30 am on Saturday, August 10, 2024 at Crosspointe Church, with Pastor Brian Roberts officiating. Visitation will be held from 9:30 am until the time of service. Burial will follow at Rose Crest Cemetery. Memorial contributions are suggested to Brother's Run Foundation. Family and friends are encouraged to share memories and leave messages of condolence on Austin's tribute wall at www.BlackburnandWard.com.