Daniel Austin, 21

Daniel Rameen Austin, 21, was born on June 29, 2005, in Crestview, Fla. As a young child, he grew up in Kenya and Zambia with his parents and two older brothers, where his love for wildlife and the outdoors first formed. His Mother was from Kabul, Afghanistan, and his father was from Metropolis, Illinois. His hero growing up was wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin, whose kindness and compassion Daniel closely followed. Daniel was gentle, loving, caring, and always went out of his way to help a friend in need. He had an extraordinary ability to light up a room with laughter and cheer up even the lowest of spirits. 

Daniel traveled much of his life but decided to call the flathead valley his home. The flathead had all the outdoors he could have dreamed of. He graduated from Glacier High School in 2022 and attended Liberty online college, where he was studying wildlife conservation. He dreamed of working in the parks service here in northwest Montana. He loved fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, and fitness. Daniel was a man who was always ready to help someone in need and would go out of his way to make sure his friends and family were taken care of before his needs were met. 

He was survived by his older brothers Paul and John, his mother Najela, his father Douglas, his nephew Vincent, and his niece Hazel. He died shortly after his birthday in a highway accident. Although tragic, the spirit of his warmth and kindness will always live on in the people's lives he impacted. Daniel's funeral service will be held at Columbia Mortuary on August 1 at 11:00 a.m. All are welcome.