Issue date: October 28, 1998
By MARJORIE MADER
After 32 years with the Menlo Park Recreation Department, Dick Austin has decided it's time to retire and start another phase of his life. His last day with the city as senior recreation supervisor is November 6.
Mr. Austin, 56, began his career in Menlo Park as director at the Kelly Park Community Center, which has become the Onetta Harris Center in Belle Haven. Two and one-half years later, he moved over to the recreation center and, in 1975, set up his office in Burgess Gym, after it was rebuilt following a fire.
For the past 20 years, he has directed Menlo Park's popular youth basketball program involving 2,000 kids a week.
In 1985, Mr. Austin was given responsibility for the gymnastics program, which he said has grown from 285 kids to the present 1,800 under the direction of Mike Taylor.
In retirement, Mr. Austin plans to pursue a number of interests, from judging dog shows to flying, parasailing,and hang gliding.
As past president of the Wire-haired Pointing Griffon Club of America, Mr. Austin wants to spend more time with the organization, promoting the versatile hunting dog breed that originated in France and the Netherlands in the late 1800s. He breeds and trains griffons, and judges competitions around the country.
Mr. Austin also looks forward to more travel time with his wife, Joanne, and daughters. The Austins celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary two weeks ago and plan a Panama Canal cruise in January.
A commercial pilot, Mr. Austin wants to get involved in parasailing and hang gliding activities near his home in Fremont.
Another area that interests him is volunteering with the East Bay chapter of Habitat for Humanity, helping to build homes for low-income families.
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