Austin Owen Furst, Jr. passed away peacefully on March 25, 2026, at his home in New Canaan, Connecticut, surrounded by his family, following complications of heart failure. He will be remembered for his curiosity and creativity, his entrepreneurial spirit, and the joy he brought to those around him.
Austin Owen Furst, Jr.
Austin was born on August 31, 1943, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to Margaret Watkins Furst and Austin Owen Furst. He grew up in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, attended The Hill School in Pottstown (Class of 1962), and studied business at Lehigh University in Bethlehem (Class of 1966).
Austin was a devoted husband to Leslie Fitler Furst for 60 years. Together, they built a full and joyful life – raising three daughters, loving many dogs, creating homes in New Canaan and on Squam Lake in New Hampshire, hosting fabulous parties and big family gatherings, traveling far and wide, and savoring quiet coffee and newspaper mornings at home.
He was a loving and fun father, grandad, and friend who delighted in a great story and a big idea. He barbecued family dinners, captained pontoon boat cocktail cruises, played practical jokes, enjoyed the occasional round of golf at the Country Club of New Canaan and Balk Peak Colony Club, and read stacks upon stacks of books.
Professionally, Austin loved building businesses. After beginning his career in brand management at Procter & Gamble and becoming a lifetime shareholder, he spent thirteen years at Time Inc., where he helped launch People magazine as Circulation Director and drove the early subscriber growth of HBO as Executive Vice President of Programming.
In 1981, when Time Inc. exited the movie business, Austin founded Vestron Video. There, he attracted and empowered a talented young executive team to create the pioneering home video company and scale it globally. Vestron distributed Michael Jackson’s Thriller in 1983, went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1985, and produced global blockbuster Dirty Dancing in 1987. He ultimately sold Vestron to LIVE Entertainment after financing constraints forced the company into bankruptcy.
Undeterred, Austin went on to launch Natural World, an ahead-of-its-time direct sales company focused on natural and environmentally friendly consumer products. After relocating the business to Scottsdale, Arizona, he developed a strong interest in real estate, founding Furst Properties. He continued to oversee the office development and leasing company from his New Canaan office until just days before his passing.
Austin is survived by his wife, Leslie; his three daughters, Elizabeth Furst Frank, Catherine Furst Weiss, and Susan Furst Knight; his eight grandchildren, Alec, Caroline, and Nicholas Frank; Claire and Evan Weiss; and Abby, Jay, and Andrew Knight; and his brother, Stephen Furst.
In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations in Austin’s honor to New Canaan EMS, for their extraordinary care and compassion, or to Chocorua Island Chapel in Holderness, New Hampshire, a place that brought him inspiration and peace on Squam Lake.
Austin was friendly, fun, curious, enterprising and generous. I knew him at Time Inc, and in New Canaan.
Leslie, we were sorry to hear of Austin’s passing. What a delightful time we had with you and Austin in New Zealand and on our visits to New Canaan. Our gathering together was always joyful and full of shared stories.
Know that we think of you often, although we sold our New Canaan & Sun Valley residences & now reside full-time in Montecito, Ca.
May you find solace in the wonderful memories of your 60 years of shared happiness & support of your family.
Love,
Jan & Roger DeBard