Lon Austin, an award-winning sports reporter and photographer for the Central Oregonian, died suddenly Monday, March 24, of a heart attack. He was 69.

Austin was in the parking lot of The Home Depot in Redmond with his wife, Karlene Austin, when the heart attack occurred. According to his wife, Austin was loading bags of soil into their trailer when he collapsed. Bystanders called 9-1-1, and paramedics arrived quickly. Another bystander, who happened to be a nurse, performed chest compressions. However, Austin never regained consciousness. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

Austin was a graduate of Crook County High School, Class of 1975. He participated in track, cross country, and basketball while a student at George Fox University. He spent much of his working life in various mill jobs, including several years in Alaska.

In 2007, Austin came into the Central Oregonian office to raise an issue regarding sports coverage. The publisher at the time, Vance Tong, suggested that if he thought he could do better, then he should take the job.

Lon took him up on it — and did a better job than any sports editor had ever done at the Central Oregonian — even though he’d never worked at a newspaper before.

Austin was a tireless worker and became an outstanding community newspaper sports journalist and a fantastic sports photographer. He annually won writing and photography awards in the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association’s Better Newspapers contest.

“Thanks to the work and skill of Lon, the Central Oregonian had among the best sports pages of any weekly newspaper in the state, often the best — and with Lon, Crook County High School enjoyed better and more thorough coverage than any other high school in Oregon,” said Tony Ahern, publisher of the Central Oregonian.

“Lon’s passing is going to leave a big hole. He was so dependable, so dedicated, so committed to covering and celebrating Crook County sports. Lon was a big guy with a big spirit, and we’re going to miss him greatly. The whole community is going to miss him.”

Along with excellent Crook County High School coverage, Austin wrote many columns that were often heart-wrenching or hilarious — sometimes both. In the summer, when prep sports took a break, he showcased his talent by taking outstanding Crooked River Roundup shots in June and horse racing shots in July. The best news pictures in the paper, in general, were by Lon as well, when he’d cover an event for the news staff.