Aust Jr., Charles Allen

Charles Allen Aust Jr., known as “Frosty” to his friends, passed away on Saturday, October 3, 2009, at Carrington Place in Wytheville, Va. On November 19, 1943, Charles was born in Pulaski County to Charles Allen Aust Sr. and Trula Mary Craig Aust, both now deceased.

He attended Pulaski High School, Class of ’62, where he was given the nickname, “Frosty.” A car accident at the age of 21 resulted in a long and painful recovery, after which he joined his father at Aust Glass Works, the family business opened in 1935.

Charles became the heart of Aust Glass Works when his father passed away in 1966. For years he installed windshields, shaped mirrors, and cut glass for everything from art projects to picture frames. He worked until 1998, when a brutal attack and robbery ended his career. After a second painful rehabilitation, he became a resident of Carrington Place for the rest of his life.

Charles was baptized in 1957, as a member of Aldersgate United Methodist Church. Later he became a member of First United Methodist Church in Pulaski, where he attended regularly and often served as usher. A natural storyteller, he was always eager to talk to customers and visitors, and he was a loyal supporter of the school activities of his many nieces and nephews. He was proud of his family, his Pulaski heritage, and his role as a businessman in his hometown.

He is survived by his sisters, Mildred “Duckie” Aust Keller, Ruth Aust Harrell, and Jo Ann Aust Asbury with her husband Roger Allen Asbury Sr., all of Pulaski. Also surviving are his loving nieces and nephews, Donna Marie Jackson, of Greensboro, N.C., Charlie Byrd Duncan III and his wife, Vann Duncan, of Newbern, David Allen Duncan, of Floyd, April Asbury, of Pulaski, and Roger Allen Asbury II and his wife, Laura McManus Asbury, of Roanoke. He is also survived by a number of cousins, greatnieces, and great-nephews.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Trula Mary Craig Aust; his father, Charles Allen Aust Sr.; and a sister, Lucy Jane Aust Duncan.

Visitation will be held from 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 7, 2009, until the service hour of 2:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church. The Reverend Hugh Kilgore will officiate. Interment will follow at Oakwood Cemetery. Arrangements are by Stevens Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First Methodist United Church or to the Pulaski Humane Society. As his mother told her children every night, “God be with you.”

Arrangements by Stevens Funeral Home Pulaski, Va.