Dr. Linda Lee Austin

Dr. Linda Lee Austin, 61, of  Pikeville, passed away June 3, 2014 at Erlanger Bledsoe in Pikeville.

She was born June 28, 1952 in Crossville, daughter of Hugh M. Tollett  and Hazel (Vandever) Tollett.

She earned her law degree in 1976 from Memphis State University and was a Public Defender for the City of Memphis and later served as a Shelby County Public Defender. A private law practice then followed. Later, she returned to the University of Memphis and completed her PhD in history in 1992. Dr. Austin published several academic historical papers and won the Tennessee Historical Society Award for the best paper of the year. She also published a book, Babies for Sale: The Tennessee Children’s Home Adoption Scandal. After retiring home to her family farm in the Sequatchie Valley, she taught history at Roane State Community College.

She was preceded in death by her parents Hugh M. and Hazel (Vandever)Tollett.

She is survived by her husband, John Austin, M.D., Pikeville; son, Hugh Austin and his wife Rachel Bowman Austin, M.D., Knoxville; son Patrick Austin, Pikeville; and granddaughters Lily Austin and Sophia Austin, Knoxville.

Funeral services were held at the funeral home chapel on June 7, at 10:00 a.m. with Bro. Kenneth Chadwell officiating.  Interment in Green Acres Memory Gardens.

If desired, in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (www.theaftd.org) or the donor’s favorite charity.

Bilbrey Funeral Home, Inc. of Crossville was in charge of arrangements.