BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A longtime Brevard County resident is celebrating an extra special Leap Year birthday, the nonagenarian turns 92 years old—and 23 in leap years.
- Longtime Brevard resident was born on Leap Day
- James Austin turns 92 or 23 in leap years
- Austin traveled the world, started a business and married the love of his life
James Austin has lived in the same house for more than 50 years. He has since packed it with books and souvenirs from his travels all over the world. His daughter Peggy Webb said he's a walking, talking encyclopedia and it's what she learns about her father every day that makes him so special.
“I never knew he was in the Air Force and he lived here a year or two, did his basic training and went to a lot of places in Boca Raton," Web said. "And it was awesome to learn that he was living exactly where I was living.”
Austin said his greatest accomplishment was marrying the woman who gave him ten kids and a wonderful life. Even though Mary Ann died from cancer more than 20 years ago, without a doubt, she's still the love of his life.
“Their mother told me when she was 14 in high school she said I belong to her and don't forget it," Austin said. "The second question was, 'when are we getting married?'" "So I asked her, 'why the hell you want to marry me? I only got 100 in my pocket, no car, no home, no job and you want to marry me?'" "And it was a wonderful life.”
Every day Austin says still talks to his wife and cherishes the years they had together raising a family and starting his own business.
He never remarried because as he would say, his love for his wife is a once in a lifetime kind of love.
Austin started his own plastic fabrication business J W Austin in Melbourne in 1971 and still goes to work every day.