COWPENS - Raymond Anthony Austin, 43, of 759 Love Springs Road, husband of Yolanda Corry Austin, passed away Sunday, July 26, 2009, at 4 a.m. on Sunny Slope Road in Cowpens.

Son of Thomas Ross Cheeks of Spartanburg and Joyce Austin Ofori of Cowpens, Raymond was born July 10, 1966, in Spartanburg. He first joined Youngs Grove Baptist Church in Blacksburg and later joined Piney Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Cowpens.

He was a 1984 graduate of Broome High School and on Sept. 26, 2001, he completed the course, South Carolina General Contractor Exam Review, at Spartanburg Technical College. He was selfemployed as a brick mason and coached Little League Football in Gaffney, Cowpens and Blacksburg.

In addition to his wife and parents, he is survived by seven sons, Jaylan Austin, Chris Corry, both of the home, Dazmond Dover of Cowpens, Byron Corry, Jamarcus Armstrong, Devante Vercher and Raymond Austin Jr., all of Gaffney; six daughters, Lakita Porter of Savannah, Ga., Shandreka Hollis, Ke'Andra Stevenson, Brianna Atkins, Taylor Armstrong, all of Gaffney, and Britanica Johnson of Spartanburg; four sisters, Angela Austin of Spartanburg, Yolanda Edmondson, Shante Edmondson, both of Washington, D.C., and Alicia Douglas of Gaffney; four brothers, Venard Ross of Cowpens, Thomas Ross of Gaffney, Derrick Ofori of Cowpens, and Anthony Giles of Atlanta, Ga.; a grandson; two grandmothers, Annie Ruth Ross of Spartanburg and Jessie Smith of Blacksburg; a stepfather, father-in-law, greataunt, and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and other relatives.

Arrangements by Foster Funeral Home, Gaffney.