David Francis Young

David was born at home on December 21, 1940 to Erma and Frank Young in Savannah, Missouri. David graduated from Savannah High School in 1958 and went on to attend Missouri Western State University. After a year, he chose to enlist in the United States Army where he studied engineering and communications before becoming a Communications Chief. During his enlistment, David received accolades and was chosen to go to West Point Prep school, but declined to attend. David spent three years of active duty in Alaska and then another three years in the Army Reserve before being honorably discharged on January 31, 1965.

While in the Army Reserves, David joined Pan American Airways and worked for the company for nearly 20 years before joining a brand-new airline, Air Atlanta, in 1984, as Director of Passenger Service. He later moved onto work for Lockheed and then became the Albany International Airport Manager in the early 90’s. After decades of working with airlines, David and his wife Susan found and fell in love with Hiawassee, Georgia and moved there creating and publishing The Blue Ridge Guide magazine in 1994. Their love of Hiawassee and David’s passion and aptitude for computers led them to open Com-pute With Us in 1998 which was a thriving local business for ten years.

In the summer of 1964, while working for Pan Am, David met Kathleen Keever who was a flight attendant for Pacific Northern Airlines (now Delta Airlines) and they married in April 1965. Their first marital home was at Clark Air Base in the Philippines where David was Pan Am’s youngest station manager at the age of 24. After the couple returned to the US, they went on to have Robert David Young and Jennifer Young Meredith who survive him. David and Kathy were married for 19 years before divorcing in 1984.

David met Susan Walther in 1990 and they were married in Saratoga Springs, New York on December 26, 1992. They were happily married for nearly 15 years before Susan passed in 2007. David loved and continued his relationship with Susan’s children and spouses: LeeAnne & Paul Kam (children Stephen Kam and Hannah Rosenberger along with great grandchildren Peter and Violet Rosenberger); Rick & Pam Chemelli (sons Hunter Chemelli and Austin Chemelli); Suzanne & Doug Mulholland (daughters Chrisje Potter and Kate Mulholland); and Lisa & Rob Wolf.

During his time in Hiawassee, David dedicated his time and services to his church as a choir member, an elder, and also a grief counselor for a program called Grief Share at All Saints Lutheran Church. He was a devout Christian and patriot and loved the outdoors. David had dogs all his life and was particularly enamored with white German Shepherds and chocolate Labs. His Lab, Jackson, was a certified therapy support dog and partnered with him for grief counseling others.

David loved his family, friends, church, God, country, dogs, hummingbirds, reading, writing, wood working, fishing, horseback riding and living in Hiawassee for nearly 30 years. The last year of his life was spent with his daughter and son-in-law, Dave, at their home in Maryland and he will be greatly missed.

Join us for David Young's Memorial Service on Saturday, April 20th at 11am at All Saints Lutheran Church 83 Earl Shelton Road. Blairsville, GA 30512 to honor his life.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to either the American Legion or All Saints Lutheran Church in Blairsville, Georgia.