Remembering Austin Chitwood

On October 27, 2021, a few minutes after nine am, a wonderful husband, dad, brother, and son took his last breath. Austin V. Chitwood, born February 14, 1980, spent the last year of his life fighting a brutal brain cancer that is always terminal. His family was with him through his passing. He leaves behind his wife of 17 years, Nichole Smith, and their two children, Cyrus and Khaleesi. Austin is also survived by his father, Andrew Chitwood; mother, Donna Garnett (Khadija Haynes); sister, Alexis Haynes; brother, Max Haynes; two aunts (Claudia and Mitzi); and two cousins (Cody and Briton) and their families.

 

In October 2020 Austin was diagnosed with a brain tumor that is always terminal. He elected to have brain surgery, radiation, chemo, and experimental treatment in the hopes of extending the time he might have with his wife and children. He fought hard and continued to work as the Director of Children’s Farms in Action in the Montbello neighborhood until the last 2 months of his life.

 

Austin grew thousands of pounds of fresh produce in the Montbello Urban Farm at United Church of Montbello each year, contributing virtually all of it to food pantries in the neighborhood. He mentored dozens of high school youth and young adults each year providing good-paying jobs and internships for many. He reveled in his experiences of working with early childhood and elementary students as he taught them all about the complex lives of chickens and the cycle of life going on right under their feet. He taught kids and adults about teasing life out of seemingly the most lifeless little traces of earth. Those around him often commented that he didn’t just have a green thumb – all his fingers were green.

 

Austin left a living legacy through the work that he did in the stewardship of the earth, in always creating more avenues to growing and distributing healthy nutritious food, and in just his ordinary acts of kindness and love. He was a good man, a loving husband and father, a true friend, and a gifted teacher. He never met a stranger and he always had something to say.

 

An outdoor Celebration of Life will be held on November 6 at the Montbello Urban Farm. In lieu of sending flowers or contributing food, we ask that folks who want to express condolences consider planting flowers or a tree, contributing to a local food pantry, or growing herbs on your window sill in his memory.

 

This GoFundMe account has been established to raise monies to help with costs associated with end-of-life transition and to help Nichole, Cyrus, and Khaleesi as they re-orient their lives without their husband and dad.