Richard Austin

AUSTIN, Richard Paul passed away peacefully on his birthday April 27, 2024 at 88. Born in Chicago, he joined the Air Force in 1954. He met his wife Lorraine at MacDill AFB and they married in 1959. Richard's successful career started out at The Travelers and he managed offices throughout the U.S. He worked at a subsidiary firm as Executive Vice President and led the SE Division of First Financial Planner Services; a marketing and support firm for the blossoming financial planning industry. He helped develop and market a financial planning software program which used AI before it was mainstream. He also served as President of Templeton Funds Annuity Company. He built variable annuity products, Templeton Retirement Annuity and Templeton Immediate Variable Annuity. His expertise was respected by many, including National Association of Variable Annuities (NAVA). After retirement, he was an expert witness for cases involving financial matters. Richard was Chairman of the Pinellas Education Foundation. In this role, he was a staunch advocate for career technical education and helping high school students find an educational pathway leading to a career. He is a legacy donor of this organization. In his spare time, Richard was an avid golfer and a member of the Countryside Country Club for over 25 years. In addition to his wife, Richard is predeceased by his son, Richard Jr. He is survived by his daughter, Julie, son-in-law, Scott, daughter-in-law, Melinda, and six grandchildren, Scott, Haley, Lauren, Samantha, Jillian and Sabrina. A Celebration of Life will be held honoring Richard on a future date to be announced. In lieu of flowers, donations to Suncoast Hospice are requested.