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1948
2021
October 4, 1948-June 6, 2021. William Harold Leslie Auten of Baton Rouge, LA native of Buffalo, NY passed away peacefully in the comfort of his home surrounded by family on June 6, 2021. Survived by wife of 45 years Barbara Wingerter Auten and children Matthew (Jacqueline) Auten of Morgantown, W VA, Maureen (Jason) Tassin of Covington, and William (Amy) Auten Jr., Christopher (Tracey) Auten, Amie (Arthur) Wager, 10 grandchildren, a dear aunt Nancy Delo all of New York, and his loyal service dog, Tucker. Preceded in death by his parents William F. Auten and Marguerite Winney Auten Vogt of Buffalo, New York. William was a helicopter pilot for 45 years. He began his career proudly serving his country in the United States Army in 1969. He served two tours in Vietnam and ended his service as Captain in Fort Knox, KY. He was awarded several medals including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Medal and Purple Heart. He was a pilot for 35 years for Petroleum Helicopters in Lafayette, LA; 18 of those years were spent flying EMS medical emergency flights. He protected many lives and saved many others throughout his career. His family is proud of the work he did. He was a loving father and Eagle Scout that enjoyed the outdoors, white water rafting, archery and gathering with fellow veterans in the Bangledesh group. He was proud of his service in the Army, the veterans he served with and the country he served. He volunteered for the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, the Audubon Zoo and Aquarium, and The Louisiana Parole Project. He loved to travel and especially enjoyed two trips to the Serengeti in Tanzania with his wife Barbara. He remained friends with several of his guides there. Visitation at 9:00 and Mass at 10:00 will be held at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Baton Rouge, LA on June 18, 2021. In his memory, the family requests that donations be made to, Alzheimer's Services of the Capital Area (alzbr.org) The Louisiana Parole Project, or Wounded Warriors.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Barbara,
My sweet friend, I was shocked and saddened to read of Bill's passing. Please know you are in my thoughts & prayers. May the love and support of family & friends sustain you in the days ahead, and may memories of happier times bring you moments of joy once again.
Warmest regards,
Pam Bordelon
July 1, 2021
Barbara, Matthew and Maureen, Our deepest sympathies go out to you. He was a good husband, father and veteran and now is at peace with God. Bless you all.
David, Julie & Fernandez Family
Friend
June 17, 2021
Dear Barbara and family, I am so sorry for your loss. I enjoyed talking with him at several CTK functions. I thank him for his service to all of us in this Great Country.
Anna Renegar
June 17, 2021
Dave and I have fond memories of camping with Bill and Barbara with the Girl Scouts. We send our sympathies and prayers to his family.
Dave and Elrita Liljeberg
Friend
June 17, 2021
Barbara & kids, I am so sorry to hear of Bill’s passing on. It was a blessing for him & you to be able to be at his side as he began & completed his passage!! You are in my thoughts & prayers!
Lana
Friend
June 17, 2021
Barbara, so sorry for you & your family’s loss. Praying for all of you.
Erin Mayeux
Friend
June 17, 2021
To Barbara from Susan and Dan Goodwin. We are in shock. We are so so sorry. Every time I see the tree in our front yard I thank God that Bill planted it for us the welcoming shade will always remind us of Bill. He was so blessed to have such a loving family. He will be missed. We think of you often. I will write soon.
Susan Goodwin
Friend
June 15, 2021
May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.
June 15, 2021
I had the honor and pleasure of being Bill's Flight Nurse. He was my pilot. We flew many lifesaving missions. Many memories surface nearly daily about our important work together. We were written about in numerous articles, one in particular spoke about us flying over shark-infested waters(Me: What sharks?). We had so many interesting times together and remained friends since then. I was fortunate enough to visit with him and Barb, his wife and share old times with them before his death. He will be greatly missed.
~Karen Chabert, RN
Karen Chabert
Coworker
June 12, 2021
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