James Samuel "Sam" Young

Our precious father, wonderful brother, beloved Uncle, and dear friend James Samuel, "Sam'' Young went home to be with his Lord and Savior on January 26, 2020. We are sure that his bride of 71 years took his hand as he entered the heavenly realm.


Dad was born on November 8, 1924 at the family home in Portland Oregon to, Jesse E. and Nellie I, (Collins) Young. When Dad was still a toddler the family moved to Legrand California where his father worked in a large Almond orchard. When he was just 6 years old tragedy struck the family when his beloved mother died very suddenly leaving Jess with Dad and his older sister Ruth to raise on his own.


Unable to bear the house without his beloved Nell Grandpa moved dad and Ruth to the little town of Oakland, Oregon where he leased a farm. This being the depression years the farm failed, so Jess, Dad and his sister Ruth worked at whatever they could find to support the family. As a boy he delivered the Oregonian Newspaper all over Oakland riding his bicycle miles each morning before school no matter the weather!




During the summer's when he was in High school Dad worked on fire crews surveying marking out, and building fire roads through the timberlands in the Calapooia and Umpqua watershed regions. He became very familiar with all of the local woodlands and loved tramping through them. The boys spent the week camping in the woods and came home on the week ends.


When his sister Ruth manied Fay Steams Dad welcomed a new fishing buddy into his life. They both loved fly fishing on the North Umpqua river!


He attended school in Oakland when all 12 grades met in the two story brick building on Locust street. For a number of years his father was the janitor/ maintenance person for the school and Dad always said he knew that building inside and out because he was small he could get into places his dad couldn't to fix things. But his favorite thing to do was ring the big bell calling all of the town's scholars to hurry if they weren't already on their way to school.


Upon graduating from high school dad enlisted in the United States Navy since it was the height of World War II. He was trained in Naval aviation electronics and served in Hawaii and on Guadalcanal during the war.


Returning home after the war was over, he discovered that the pesky little stepsister he had left behind had turned into a fetching high school junior. They began dating, although most of their dates were attending boxing matches that Dad got free tickets to since he wrote up the results for the local newspaper.


Dad married his beloved Dorothea Snyder in Reno Nevada on September 13, 1947. Theirs was to be a 71 year long honeymoon, which only death interrupted. Their first child, a daughter Diane was born 10 months later.


Dad decided to take his government up on the free college education they offered to all returning veterans and attended Oregon State College, graduating in 1950 with a degree in Electrical Engineering. His first job was with Bonneville Power cooperative in Portland Oregon. Two more children were born to them while they lived in Portland, son Dave and daughter Pamela.


In 1954 dad accepted a job with Douglas Aircraft in Southern California and the family moved south. But dad didn't work on aircraft design for very long, as soon as the "race for space" began in the late 1950' she found his niche in life working on space vehicles. First creating wiring systems for rockets, and later working on manned space vehicles and finally on the wiring systems for the Space station which now orbits the earth.


Always calling himself just a "worker bee" he never really understood the esteem NASA and the Military held him in. When he worked on a project they knew it would be done with integrity and diligence.


But as important as his work was to him his family was more important. When son Dave entered the Y Indian Guides, dad did too and became the "chief" of their tribe. This began a many years commitment to the YMCA in San Fernando, California. Dad followed Dave through his years of YMCA involvement and also became active in fund raising and the planning and building of a new Y building. He also served on the YMCA board.


Dad traveled a great deal in his job and when we kids left home Mom was free to go with him. They spent more than 5 months living in Bremen, Germany, which they both loved. They always said if it weren't for their kids they could have lived in Bremen forever. While in Germany they traveled to several near by countries and especially enjoyed Italy.


They also spent a month in Japan, where Dad worked with their Rocket program. They took some vacation time and toured the country while there.


Dad took an early retirement at age 59 so he and Mom could move back to Oakland to help take care of Mom's mother, Rose Young, as she aged. They bought a house directly behind the home Mom grew up in. But Dad didn't stay "retired" for long! One month later his boss from McDonald Douglas called and wanted him to come back as a consultant part time. So, for the next 10 years Dad spent about 6 months of the year working in Southern California where they lived in their RV and the rest of the year home in Oregon. Mom often accompanied him on these trips to California if she wasn't needed at her moms.












Finally, Dad said no more consulting, he was staying home. That was when the Elders of his church. the Oakland Church of Christ, asked him if he would head up the building of the new church building. For the next two and a half years you could find Dad daily at the new church building, hammer or saw in hand. And if he wasn't at the building site, he was in his den drawing up stage plans, calling about getting price quotes for windows or designing various layouts for the new kitchen. Dad always said that someday he wanted to build a house from the ground up, he just didn't know when he said it that it was going to be God's house!


During these years Dad was also active on the Oakland City council and taught a Home group Bible study for the Oakland church of Christ.


Both Mom and Dad loved to travel with their trailer, especially trips to Alaska to see their son Dave Young and later Grandson Dave Brown.


Dad was a tenific grandpa, he loved to take his grandsons Dave, Kyle and Matthew Brown fishing and camping. And when granddaughter Kate Brown was born he just turned to mush at that tiny baby girl holding his finger. He welcomed granddaughter Sheri Silvers, with love and joy as big sister to the family. And finally, when his son Dave and wife Tricia presented him with two beautiful little girls, Tirzah and Hannah, Dad was again joyous! He was there as soon after all of his grandkids were born as they would let him inl


He was a beloved broth.er to both his sister Ruth and step siblings Joyce Jacks, Patsy Holder, Jack Snyder, and broth.er Bob Young. He would do anything for any of them. And he was a favorite uncle to all of his many nieces and nephews, who loved to tease him about being 11Uncle Sam". He loved kids and was always teasing with them and making them laugh! Dad never met a stranger and loved to talk to people. He always said he could learn something from everyone he talked to.


Tragically in his 80's Dementia began to steal away his remarkable mind until he didn't remember even family and friends, he lived his last years at Curry Manor and the family would like to thank all those who worked there and made Dad's last years bearable for both him and our family.


He will be so greatly missed by his children Diane and Dick Brown of Oakland, Dave and Tricia Young of Kenai, Alaska, and Pam and Don Holthofer of Philomath. His grandchildren Sheri Silvers of Louisiana, Dave Brown of Chugiak Alaska, Kyle, Matthew and Kate Brown of Oakland and Tirzah and Hannah Young of Alaska will also miss his smiling presence in their lives. But we all know that we will be together again one day, this is not good-bye it is we will see you later.


Services will be held at the Oakland Church of Christ, the church he helped to build on Feb 8th at 11:30 a.m.

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