Van Zandt Kelley Austria, 80, passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 8, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Van Zandt was born on August 13, 1945, in Lala, Lanao del Norte, Philippines, to Vicente Omar Kiram Austria and Nellie Lee Kelley Austria.

As a young man in the Philippines, Van Zandt served as a detective, beginning a lifelong career in public service. After moving to the United States, he made his home in Hawaiʻi and worked at the Oahu Community Correctional Center, where he dedicated many years of service before retiring. He later moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he spent the remainder of his life.

Van Zandt was an avid reader with a lifelong love of books. He also enjoyed painting and had a creative and curious spirit. Above all, his greatest legacy is the family he leaves behind and the generations who will continue to carry his memory with them.

He is survived by his daughters, Vetie Jane DeGuzman and Christine Austria; his grandchildren, Vivien Austria Dickerson, Blayze Austria Wolfe, Sonny Quintton Austria DeGuzman, and Blayden Tiposo Austria; and his great-grandchild, Alexander Caspian Dickerson, son of Vivien.

Van Zandt will be remembered for the life he built, the family he loved, and the lasting impact he made on those who knew him.