Austin L. Tubbs

Our beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend Austin Tubbs, 85, passed away peacefully after a stubborn battle with a series of illnesses on Wednesday, March 2, 2016 at the Highland Care Rehab Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Born to Lester and Madge Tubbs on October 16, 1930 and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Austin joined the U.S. Navy immediately after graduating high school at the age of 17 and achieved the rank of 2nd Class Petty Officer while serving on board the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Midway.  After serving his country for four years during the time of the Korean Conflict, he then attended Kansas State University, where he met and then married his wife Betsy at Trinity Episcopal Church located in El Dorado Kansas on August 14, 1954.  He then graduated with a bachelor’s degree in GeoPhysics in 1956.
Austin and Betsy have lived in Manhattan and Wichita Kansas, Worland Wyoming, and Mesa and Phoenix Arizona before they finally settled in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Austin worked for both Phillips Petroleum and Cessna Aircraft before starting a life-long career at Hercules Powder Company, where he worked for 28 years.  While at Hercules, Austin was a key member of the team that designed and deployed the Poseidon, Polaris, and Trident rocket engines, which are still in operation today onboard ballistic missile submarines as part of our nation’s nuclear deterrent.  Austin retired from Hercules in 1989.
Even as a boy, Austin loved to design and build model airplanes and model boats, and he enjoyed this hobby his entire life.  He was also an avid model train enthusiast, and constructed large layouts that filled half a room.  Austin was an outdoorsman, reluctant golfer, a skilled craftsman and sailor, and hand-built two sailboats which he enjoyed sailing on lakes and reservoirs with his entire family.  People who knew Austin often commented about his gentle nature, wry wit, and his funny and sometimes outrageous jokes.  He was an original member of the St. James Church and sang in the choir for 40 years.
He was preceded in death by his father Lester, his mother Madge and his sister-in-law Barbara.  He is survived by his wife Betsy, children David (Michele), Douglas, Christopher, Laura Jane (Chris), his grandchildren Brandon, Caitlyn (Jeremy), Austin, Packard, his great-granddaughter Lydia, his nephew Todd (Yvonne) and his two grand-nieces Lacey and Crystal.
A Communion service will be held at St. James Episcopal Church, 7486 Union Park Ave, Midvale, Utah on Saturday, March 12 at 10:00am.  A reception continuing the celebration of Austin’s life will follow at 11:00am.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to either the St. James Memorial Fund or the St. James Food Bank.  The family would also like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the extraordinary staff at the Highland Care Center for their loving and exceptional care of Austin
Service Information
Viewing at


Communion Service
at 10:00 a.m.
St. James Episcopal Church, 7486 Union Park Ave, Midvale, Utah