Shawn L. Austill of Cary, North Carolina, took his eternal rest in the arms of His Lord unexpectedly on January 26, 2019. He was 47 years old.

Shawn was born February 4, 1971 in Owensboro, Kentucky, the son of Connie (Jennings) Ford and the late Lewis Michael Austill. He spent the first years of his life in the rolling Kentucky hills, going on to graduate from Owensboro Community College with an Associates Degree in Accounting in 1999. After many years exploring the worlds of finance and retail with employers such as Kohl's and Wal-Mart (which brought him and his wife to North Carolina in 2009), Shawn's proudest accomplishment was the establishment of his career as a locksmith in 2013. He started out at Apex Lock and Key as an apprentice and loved the business so much, he quickly moved through the ranks. He was last employed as a locksmith for North Carolina State University. As owner of Central Carolina Locksmith in Cary, North Carolina, Shawn enjoyed the ins and outs of locksmithing, delving into its intricacies. He also enjoyed the deep camaraderie and community shared by the locksmith community in the area and in the country, as a whole.

Shawn enjoyed fishing, blacksmithing, football as a Pittsburgh Steeler's fan since the late 1970s, time outside, long walks, beautiful days at the beach and lake, spending time with others, great meals, and his personal talks with God.

He is predeceased by his father, Lewis Michael Austill, who died in 2000.

He is survived by his wife of over eleven years, Lee Ann B. Marino, of Cary, North Carolina; his mother, Connie and stepfather Henry Ford of Owensboro, Kentucky; his daughter, Shawna (Douglas) and his three grandchildren, Jaylee, Amiyah, and Ja'Shawn of Calhoun, Kentucky; his brother, Jarrod (Mary) and nephews James and Bryant and niece Madison of Owensboro, Kentucky.

He is also survived by many great friends in the Locksmith community, including the former locksmith staff at North Carolina Central University, the current locksmith staff at North Carolina State, friends and colleagues Rudy Rodriguez of All State Lock and Key, Kevin Worley of KW Locksmith, John Thomas of Apex Lock and Key, Jerry Brown of CDT Security, Kevin Walters of Raleigh Locksmith Service, Donnie Kovalt, Kenny McKillop, and many others. He was also blessed by friends near and far, such as Jim Buckshot, Scott Basham, and Mark Lutz.

There will be no calling hours, but an outdoor memorial service in celebration of Shawn's life will take place on what would have been his 48 th birthday, Monday, February 4, 2019, at Jordan Lake State Park (Ebenezer Church Recreation Area), 2582 Beaver Creek Road, Apex, North Carolina 27523 at 1 PM. His wife Lee Ann, who is an ordained minister, will preside over this special service to remember and celebrate her husband's life. We ask all who are a part of the locksmith community to come wearing something that identifies your company identity and to come with a story to share that reiterates how you knew and remember Shawn.

In lieu of flowers, please send all donations to Apostolic Fellowship International Revival Ministries, Inc., P.O. Box 935, Cary, North Carolina 27513 or online at http://www.kingdompowernow.org/donate.html.