Donald Lee Young

Donald Lee Young, 91, long time resident of Kemah, Texas and current resident of League City, Texas, went to meet Jesus at 7:45 P.M. on Friday June 4, 2021. He passed peacefully at home surrounded by his loved ones.

Donald was born in Houston, Texas on November 20, 1929, to Samuel Lee Young and Lula Judson Young. Donald married to Doris Ann Young in 1959 and they were married for 62 years. He told Doris that she was "the love of his".

Donald worked as a Union Boilermaker for a period of 46 years, for the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers. He was affectionately known by his friends and family as “Poncho”. During his time as a Boilermaker, Poncho was able to work alongside his two sons and was able to travel the country, coast to coast, from Maine to Montana or wherever his job took him. At the time of his retirement, he had one of the oldest union books in existence. He had been a volunteer fire fighter and earned a living during the summer months as a shrimping boat Captain on Galveston Bay until 1983. Donald retired in 1994 from the Boilermakers. Following retirement, Donald stayed busy by staying involved in the construction industry for a period of years and enjoyed the remainder of his retirement with family until his passing.

Donald coached little league football, baseball and basketball, coaching his two sons and his daughter. Donald was a lifelong Houston Astros fan. He first watched the Colt 45s play from just beyond the outfield fence. He attended some memorable and iconic Astros playoff games in recent years, dating back to the early 2000s. He loved listening to the Astros on the radio, even while he watched them on the TV at the same time. He loved cheering for both the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Oilers, from each team’s existence. He even pulled for the Texans through every game. Donald used to love messing with his sons while listening to the Astros on his radio, by telling them what had happened on the radio before they could see it happen on TV. Or he would call during the games and complain about the coaching, the players or the umpires to the point that it was easier for them to just bring him over to eat and watch the games with them, which was probably his plan all along and something they enjoyed together until his passing.

Donald was a Christian his entire life. He was a Sunday School teacher, Sunday School bus driver and Deacon at Kemah First Baptist Church. Donald and his young son, Tim, even built a steeple for the Kemah First Baptist church. Donald and his family became members of what was then, League City First Baptist Church around 1973, which later became Bay Area First Baptist Church, which is now Bay Area Church, where he remained a member until his passing. He spent much of his time, especially in retirement, studying and reading the bible and putting his thoughts to paper in the form of a book about what he had read, which amounted to roughly 1000 pages.

Donald was a master craftsman and carpenter, as he built his own house by himself. He built and repaired furniture. Worked on cars, boats, engines…virtually anything mechanical. He taught himself how to Captain a shrimp boat. He was a caring father to his children, Tim, Donna and Mark, a loving husband who couldn’t stand to be apart from his wife Doris of 62 years and a loving grandfather to Matthew. He could do it all and did do it all.

Most of all, Donald Lee Young was a Christian. He truly loved Jesus. Donald had a passion for his faith in God and for the history and welfare of his state and his country. He loved sports. He loved everything about living near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. He truly loved where he lived and refused to live anywhere else.

Donald was preceded in death by his mother – Lula J. Young and father – Samuel Lee Young, his sister – Ida Lucille Young, his brothers – Martin, Gerald and Beryl Young.

Donald is survived by his wife -Doris, his oldest son – Paul Timothy, his daughter – Donna Gayle Holcomb, his youngest son – Mark David, his grandchildren – Matthew and Jeffery Holcomb and Candy Pskowski, his grandson-in-law – Jeff Holcomb and his son-in-law – Curtis Holcomb.

Although we celebrate his life, he will be sadly missed.