William Henry Young, III

Bill Young, a resident for three and one-half years in Westminster Canterbury’s Drinkard Health Care Center, died from complications resulting from Alzheimer’s Disease and two strokes. A smile, a twinkle in his blue eyes, witty remarks, and thumbs up became known as Bill’s way of saying thank you to the loving and caring members of his Drinkard and Hospice medical team. His family extends heartfelt thanks to them.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy K. Young; niece, Gwen Barber and her husband Brad, of College Station, Texas; nephews. Eric, and Bill Sederholm and his wife Laura of Austin, Texas, numerous grandnieces and grandnephews, and some special close friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Gwen Sederholm and brother-in-law Doug Sederholm.

Born in Schenectady, New York, to William Henry Young, Jr., and Gwen Bushar Young, Bill moved with his parents to Lynchburg, Virginia, in 1956. Two years later he graduated from E. C. Glass High School where he was a member of the track team and the 1958 Commonwealth of Virginia championship tennis team. As an adult, his sports’ interests grew to include racket ball and squash, and had he been able, more recently he would have played pickleball.

As a child and teenager, Bill learned woodworking skills from his father. In turn, woodworking became a lifelong hobby for Bill, and he spent many hours designing and building furniture for his home and repairing and restoring furniture for others. Those who visited him in his shop marveled at his extensive collection of clamps.

Bill earned an undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary, a master’s degree from Duke University, and a doctoral degree in American Studies with an emphasis on American popular culture from Emory University. He was especially interested in the characters and stories found in comic strips appearing in newspapers seeing them as a window into understanding various aspects of American life. A natural teacher, from 1964 to 2000, he shared his knowledge and love of learning with students at what was then Lynchburg College, today the University of Lynchburg.

While a student at the College of William and Mary, he met his love and soulmate, Nancy Kent. They married in 1962 and during their 63 years of marriage shared an interest in reading, swing and jazz music, dancing, playing bridge, working jigsaw puzzles, watching movies, walking, hiking, traveling, entertaining friends, and sitting quietly holding hands.

Bill was particularly fond of the cats that lived with him and Nancy—first, Lady Chatterley, followed by Mack Bolan, then a brother/sister, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and finally, Rusty. For many years Nancy and Bill served, under the auspices of the Lynchburg Noon Rotary Club, as a host family for international students from Asia enrolled at Randolph Macon Woman’s College. In 1981, dedicated to living as mindful protectors of the environment, they built a passive solar heated house, their home for thirty-four years.

In the Lynchburg community, Bill, for several years, was a member of Keep Lynchburg Beautiful and on the board of Lynch’s Ferry magazine. From 1994-2002 the magazine published a series of eleven articles by him that examined architectural styles found in Lynchburg. His first published book was A Study of Action-Adventure: The Executioner and Mack Bolan (1996). He wrote Bert: A Memoir of Bertram F. Dodson, Sr. (2000) and in 2015, he penned a booklet—Popular American Music of the Civil War Era—to accompany a performance at Old City Cemetery by the Lynchburg College Choral Union.

As a part of his teaching career, he frequently spoke at professional conferences and had over 60 published academic articles and papers. He and Nancy co-authored seven books in his areas of interest, American popular music during the Great Depression and World War II, and American popular culture and everyday life during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.

Every January 1st, Bill, an avid watcher of movies, started his annual list of the movies he saw, and every December 31st, after identifying his top ten, as well as his ten “dogs,” distributed the list to friends, relatives, and anyone else who expressed the slightest interest. In addition to evaluating movies, he had a talent for writing, not recognized by the many publishers who received his novel Jordon which still resides in a box in what was his study. Some of his travel stories did appear in The Recorder, a resident magazine at Westminster Canterbury Lynchburg.

Those who knew Bill will miss this quiet, knowledgeable, gentle man with a warm and open nature, calm demeanor, quick wit, charming blue eyes, and inviting smile. 

A memorial service will be held at Westminster Canterbury on Saturday, June 21, 11:00am in the Commons with a light luncheon afterwards. His ashes will be privately scattered at Old City Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers Bill would suggest contributions to the Nature Conservancy in Virginia.

Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg is assisting the family.