Idyllwild philanthropist and actor Doug Austin dies at 74

Longtime Idyllwild resident, philanthropist and actor Doug Austin died Friday in San Jacinto at age 74. The former businessman, who was described as a local "celebrity" by friends and acquaintances, supported a range of charitable causes — particularly those related to education — and frequently appeared in local theatrical performances.

Austin gave generously to local philanthropic causes, including Soroptimists International, the Idyllwild HELP Center, the Rotary Club and Friends of the Idyllwild Library. He supported local literacy promotion projects at the Idyllwild Middle School, scholarships for local youth through the Mary Austin Scholarship and Grants Program, among other charitable ventures.

"He was fondly referred to as Mr. Idyllwild because he did so much work up there," said Patricia Alvarez Austin, Austin's wife of eight years.

Austin was born and raised in the greater Los Angeles area. He worked at the Temple City Sheriff Department in the 1970s before moving to the corporate world. He eventually became western region vice president for Land O'Lakes, according to Patricia Austin, holding the role for more than a decade. Austin would later use much of the money he earned during this period as an agriculture executive to support his philanthropic work in Idyllwild, she said.

Austin first moved to Idyllwild in 1986. He left the mountain community several years later due to job requirements before moving back permanently in the late 1990s. He lived there with his first wife of 26 years, Mary Austin, until she died in 2009.

John Drake, a photographer and videographer who worked for Austin on various events for nearly two decades, said Austin helped get him and his wife work when they first moved to Idyllwild.

"We got here in '01," Drake recalled. "In those days it was pretty scarce work. ... He made sure to give us any little job he had. They weren't always big jobs, but in those beginning days to have someone like that in your corner was of enormous comfort to us."

Many of the events Drake was hired to shoot were theatrical productions featuring Austin. The former businessman, who had a bachelor's degree in theatre, was an avid thespian and regular performer in plays by theatre groups Olde English Theatre and Stratford Players.

"He was a big ham of a guy," said Drake. "He loved to act and loved Shakespeare."

"He loved (Charles) Dickens," Drake added. "You'd see him every Christmas with a troupe of other people being very 'Dickinsonian' and dressing up in a sort of Dickens cosplay."

In addition to theatrical work, Austin served as the master of ceremonies at the Idyllwild Summer Concerts series.

"Doug was a personality about town. He was celebrity," said Barry Zander, a former Idyllwild resident who worked with Austin on local events over many years.

Zander said Austin's "booming voice" was a major feature at local events, particularly during his annual Christmas readings of " 'Twas the Night Before Christmas" to the Idyllwild public. Zander added Austin stood out as "the most generous person that you’ll ever meet in your life" for his constant support of local philanthropic causes.

Austin married Patricia Alvarez several years after his first wife's passing. The pair remained in Idyllwild until late 2020, when health-related issues required them to relocate to San Jacinto.

In addition to his widow, Austin is survived by two sons, James Austin and Jeff Austin, two stepsons, Paul Garza and Israel Hernandez, as well as five grandchildren. No service will be held, according to Patricia Austin, who said her husband "wanted people to remember him for the man he was."

Austin's family is asking that, in lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor him donate to the Idyllwild HELP Center or the Rotary Club.

James B. Cutchin covers business in the Coachella Valley. Reach him at james.cutchin@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Idyllwild philanthropist and actor Doug Austin dies at 74