Austin James Hanson

Austin Hanson, 48, passed away on Thursday, January 21, 2021 at his home in Memphis, TN. Austin was an avid swimmer and surfer. He competed in YMCA, U.S. Swimming, and Special Olympics competitions on the local, state, national, and international levels. Some of Austin’s accomplishments include receiving the North Carolina Swimming “Andy Craver Determination Award”, competing in the International Special Olympics held in Minneapolis, MN, and regularly competing in the Wrightsville Beach, NC, 1.7-mile Pier-to-Pier swim—as recently as 2009. He was one of 40 swimmers invited to the U.S. Swimming Disability Camp in 1997 and held the U.S. record in the 100- and 200-meter backstroke in his classification. He was an outstanding competitor, teammate, and role model during his years swimming for the Wilmington YMCA and the Waves of Wilmington (WOW). Austin enjoyed his time with the Wilmington YMCA where he worked for 20 years. He was loved by all and will be missed by many.

Austin is survived by his mother, Kay Reeves, and husband, Jim, of Memphis, TN; brothers, David Reeves and wife, Geri, of Memphis, TN, and Lance Hanson, currently deployed in Africa with the U.S. Air Force, and wife, Julie; niece, Riley Reeves of Memphis, TN; and nephew, Lee Hanson of Michigan.

A service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Eastern ST on Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at Lane’s Chapel in Dover, NC.