Obituary of Austin G. Molnar

WEST CARTHAGE- Austin G. Molnar, 67, of 36 Main Street, died on Sunday, December 10, 2017 at the SUNY Upstate University Medical Center in Syracuse, where he’s been a patient for over a month after getting hit by a car in Gouverneur, New York in November.

He was born on March 4, 1950 in Rochester, New York to the late Nicholas and Mary Russell Molnar.  He attended school in Carthage after school he worked for Crown Zellerbach.  He served in the United States Army, An intense patriot; he always wore his dog tags and flew the American flag 24/7. Austin suffered from PTSD, post-traumatic stress syndrome. Because of that problem, he has had his share of skirmishes navigating through civilian life.

Handy at small mechanical tasks, he repaired bicycles and fixed old lawn mowers, etc.

He had been “separated since 1985” when his wife departed for Florida. He worked for the Campany brothers when they owned the tavern and hotel at the corner of Brown Street. He lived in the hotel and then bought the house at 228-230 N. James from them in 2006. His home burned down on February 12, 2015. After the fire he lost many items he loved dearly, one small item he called a “bread box.” It contained the handful of medals the Army bestowed on him when he came home from Vietnam, plus a single sheet of paper. The sheet of paper was certification of Austin’s “fifteen minutes of fame” on this planet.

It was the cover of an issue of LIFE magazine from back in 1969. Austin’s photograph was on the front cover of that issue of LIFE.

There were three soldiers in the picture. All were members of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment somewhere in Cambodia. The headline emblazoned across the photo read “THE FORGOTTEN WOUNDED.”

The photograph showed the soldiers following a fire-fight in the war zone. They were all members of the “11th ACR” and Austin was pointing at two of his “buddies” who were heavily bandaged on their arms. He said his wounds did not show because they were to the back of his leg.

Austin has always been fond of birds and small animals, and he made many of them his pets. When the fire struck, he was caring for five parakeets, four Zebra finches, four cats, three goldfish and his favorite dog.

He especially loved one of the cats and the dog that had been his loyal companion for the past 13 years. It was a fox terrier/German shepherd.

He is survived by his daughter, Suzanne , Carthage; a niece, Yolanda (Donald) Calamusa, Fort Drum; two nephews, Sean (Angie) Molnar, West Carthage; John Paul Molnar, Copenhagen.

He is predeceased by two brothers, John Molnar and Richard Baker.

He was a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Dionne-Rumble Post #7227, Carthage, NY.

There will be no public calling hours. A graveside service will be held on Saturday, May 12, 2018 at 2:30 PM in Fairview Cemetery with Pastor Frances Hempstreet officiating.  

Yolanda’s husband Donald is in the HHBN Division on Fort Drum and has been requested from Austin to take part in the funeral honors.

Donations in his memory can be made to National Veterans Foundation or the Jefferson County SPCA, for his love of animals.

Online condolences in his memory can be made at www.lundyfuneralhome.com

 

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