Austin Taylor Morris

  Austin Taylor Morris, 33, of Toney, Alabama, heroically laid down his life protecting others at a local Huntsville business on July 19th,2026 just days before his 34th birthday. He was born July 31, 1992, in Springfield, Missouri. He lived in several states over his lifetime and traveled to many places around the world. Austin was highly intelligent, with natural gifts in technology and mechanics, and he could see the vision of a project and run with it. He loved music, nature, cats, history, poetry, and writing. He was well known at the local Mexican, barbecue, and Chick-fil-A restaurants. Austin owned XN Services, LLC, and was developing a second roadside services business at the time of his passing. He loved mentoring and teaching others, and he was instrumental in creating and assisting business ventures with both his maternal and paternal family, as well as supporting friends’ business dreams. He had too many adventures to list here. He was especially close to his maternal grandfather, William “Bill” Layton Mayhugh, and learned many skills, an empathetic manner, and lasting lessons from him. Austin missed his grandfather’s influence and brought up his memory in conversation regularly. Like his grandfather, Austin was a caretaker who filled a major place in the lives of those around him. We never knew exactly how big his shoes were until we felt the massive void he left behind. Austin had an empathic nature and a tender, compassionate heart. He noticed when others needed help and was often the first to step in, no matter the hour. He was deeply devoted to the people he loved. His instinct was to help and protect, even when doing so required courage. In the final moments of his life, Austin was trying to protect others. It was an act that reflected something his family had always known: beneath his laid-back manner and gentle nature was a remarkably brave heart. More than anything, Austin loved Chloe and his children, Matthew Jaylinn and Freya Elizabeth. He loved being their father, and they were an enormous source of happiness and pride in his life. He was loved and adored by a vast family and by a multitude of friends and business acquaintances in the Rocket City community and in Smyrna, Tennessee. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, William Layton Mayhugh and Nell Ree Mayhugh; his paternal grandfather, Ray Morris; and his uncles, Jesse Lee Stovall and Bruce Stephen Mayhugh. Austin is survived by his Love, Chloe; his beloved children, Matthew Jaylinn and Freya Elizabeth; his mother, Wanda “Joy” Mayhugh Brady, and his stepfather, James “Lee” Brady; his father, Kerry Morris, and his wife, Jill; his grandmother, Jean Morris; his brothers, Daniel Morris and his wife, Carolina, Luke Brady and his wife, Bonnie, Nate Brady and his wife, Allison, Tim Brady and his wife, Cate, Tyler Morris, and Kian Morris; and his sisters, Sharon Rose Brady and her husband, Teddy James Brady, Laura Russell Halligan and her husband, Jason Halligan, and Katelyn Morris. Austin dearly loved his 23 nieces and nephews, and his great-niece, Alice, and great-nephew, Nikoli: Mason Brady and his wife, Elizabeth; Alyssa Grace Brady and her fiancé, Sam; Summer Faith Brady; Andrew Brady Morris and his wife, Chloe, and their children, Nikoli and Alice; Amber Mackenzie Morris; Avery Nicholas Morris; Ellie Joy Morris; Emmlyn Darling Morris; Elijah John Morris; Abraham and Rebecca, Daniel Morris’s stepchildren; William Michael Halligan; James Lee Brady III; Rachel Brady; Nora Brady; Hannah Brady; Solomon Brady; Daniel Brady; Louise Brady; and Everett Brady. Austin will forever be remembered for his humor, his kindness, his gentle spirit, his ability to fix almost anything, and the way he was always willing to lend a hand. Above all, Austin Taylor Morris will be remembered as a loving father, a beloved son, grandson, and brother, and devoted to his Love. He was a sweet and brave man who showed his love for others not only in words, but in the way he lived, and in giving his life for those he loved. Memorial Service Friday, October 23, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Legacy Chapel Funeral Home 16 Hughes Road Madison, Alabama 35758 Legacy Chapel Funeral Home · Madison, Alabama