God Calls His Faithful Servant Home

Today I am writing with a heavy heart because my Dad, Dr. Austin B. Tucker, was called home to be with Christ Jesus our Saviour and God the Father on Wednesay morning of last week. He lived his life in service to God like no other man to have walked this earth during my lifetime. He loved God so completely with every fiber of his being. And it showed in everything he did, from the moment he awoke every morning, to his prayers every night before resting. He was truly a man after God’s own heart.

The following is his obituary, which only just begins to tell about his lifetime here on earth:

A memorial service for Dr. Austin B. Tucker will be held at First Baptist Shreveport Frost Chapel on Saturday, February 26, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. Officiating will be Dr. Jeff Raines, the Reverend Joe Bob Alexander and Dr. Billy Crosby. A reception will be held in the First Baptist Parlor immediately following the service.

Dr. Tucker passed away on Wednesday, February 23, 2022 surrounded by his wife and children following a lengthy illness with complications from a 1994 spinal cord injury.

He was born on February 16, 1938 to Clyde O. Tucker and Virgie Loree Tucker. He grew up in Shreveport graduating from Fair Park High School in 1956. He received a BA degree from East Texas Baptist College (University) and went on to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to earn his doctorate in 1971.

Austin spent 40 years of his life dedicated to pastoring churches in Louisiana and Texas. For the last 14 years he enjoyed training pastors by teaching On-Line Courses at Liberty Baptist University. In addition to his teaching he published seven books and wrote periodicals for several publications.

Austin loved the Lord, his family and his country. He touched many lives during his 84 years on this earth. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He was so proud of his grandchildren.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 65 years, Beverly Bland Tucker; his son, David Tucker; and his daughter, Christie Deyo; three grandchildren, Chase, Erin and Allie Deyo; sister, Ouida Pye of Roanoke, Texas; and several nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his brother, Kennith Tucker.

Special thanks to Dr. Timothy Nicholls, Dr. Hector Brunet and the nurses and staff of Willis Knighton Home Health and Hospice.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to Samaritan’s Purse or the charity of your choice. 

We are heartbroken with the loss.  But we are elated that dad is no longer suffering and no longer confined to the wheelchair that had been a major part of his life since his accident over 25 years ago.

I remember him so vividly during the first half of my own life, being the dad who jogged 5 miles a day and worked out at the gym 2-3 times a week.  And that was only after he awoke at 5:30-6:00am and spent the first 30-45 minutes of each day with his “devotional”, studying God’s word and praying, –always nourishing his heart and mind, before submitting to phyiscal hunger and nourishing his body with breakfast. Even after the accident which left him paralyzed from mid-chest down, he always put his devotion to God before his physical needs and desires –a practice which he continued until God called him home only a week or so ago.

Dad wrote 7 books during the course of his lifetime.  Most of those were written to help young pastors learn how to actually pastor effectively to their congregations.  But he also wrote one for children…a mystery novel for boys.  And most if not all of those books were written AFTER his accident, while he was simultaneously serving as a seminary and/or college professor, teaching “homiletics”, Greek, Hebrew, or sermon development courses.  Not much could slow him down.

Throughout all of the pain, medical issues, and bodily ailments that he endured during the course of his paralysis, outliving normal life expectancy by two and a half times the norm, Dad never lost faith or even questioned God’s plan.  He took it as an opportunity for God to use him in new and different ways, robbing satan of even the least bit of satisfaction.  And God blessed him and indeed our entire family in ways we could never have expected.

So while we do miss Dad a great deal and are saddend by his departure, we know that we will soon see him again in heaven.  Because this life is just the beginning of an eternity with God who loves us endlessly and unconditionally.

In Christ,

David Tucker

And a word to my Dad in case he might “be listening”…

Dad, I miss you with every fiber of my being. I can only imagine how you are once again standing, walking, running, and even dancing today in heaven.  Dancing like you have quite literally never danced before, in the presence of our Savior and Lord. While I would give anything just to have one more day with you, or even just one more conversation, or a meal with you at the table, I could never  take you away from the joy, love, and perfect peace that now engulfs your soul in heaven.  But when I finally get there to join you someday, there is something that I have wanted since the day of your accident, 25+ years ago.  I never asked, because you could no longer stand on two feet.  But I remember the last time you gave me a bear-hug.  And it was the best hug ever.  So I want that please.  Love, David