Clifford Lee Cliff Austin

Clifford Lee “Cliff” Austin was a familiar and warmly regarded figure to many who knew him through family, work and the Renaissance festival community. Known affectionately as “Cliff” and by his festival name “Malachi,” he brought an outgoing, friendly spirit to the Scarborough Renaissance Festival and the Texas Renaissance Festival, where friends remember him for his approachable manner and the joy he added to weekend gatherings.

People who knew Cliff described him as sociable and community-minded. Public, community-sourced memorial pages and remembrances note that he worked as a machine operator and had ties to the Mansfield/Crowley area in the Dallas–Fort Worth region. He grew up in the local area and attended local schools; these community roots were a steady part of how friends and neighbors recall him.

Cliff’s friendships and the roles he played in festival life were important parts of how he was known. The name “Malachi” was used by friends at Renaissance events, signaling the affection with which he was received in that circle. Those who posted memories after his death emphasize that his loss was felt by family, coworkers and a broad circle of friends who gathered to remember him and to support one another.

Although public records and memorial pages confirm the date he died—October 10, 2020—there is limited formal obituary material published by a funeral home or family-authorized notice available online that matches the full set of identifying details. Because the public record is sparse, this remembrance focuses on the human pieces that are verifiable: Cliff’s beloved place in his local community, his festival friends who called him “Malachi,” and the warmth people remember in his presence. His life mattered to many, and those who loved him continue to honor his memory quietly in their communities and gatherings. If you have personal memories, photographs, or details about Cliff’s life you would like to share for a memorial page, those contributions help ensure the fuller picture of his life is preserved with dignity.