Margaret Delchamps Young

Margaret Leigh Delchamps Young, our sweet mother, born February 3, 1935, went to join her beloved husband Ed Monday morning, December 11, 2023, after having emergency hip surgery. A Mobile native, she grew up attending Dauphin Way Methodist Church singing in the choir, singing solos or duets with her cousin, Allen Crowell. She graduated from Murphy High School in 1952. She attended Huntingdon College in Montgomery where she met her soul mate Ed, who was attending on the GI bill. They married December 17, 1955. Ed insisted that she complete her studies in History and Religion in 1956. The couple raised five children in Mobile. Her activities were family, swimming and soccer mother, and Ed’s partner in business, Holiday Recreational Vehicles, later Holiday Truck Covers. She and Ed traveled to Montana many times for family vacations and owned a second home in Missoula for nearly a decade. Our parents faced many challenges always with the welfare of their children in mind, sometimes as family emergency responders. Margaret provided childcare to grandchildren and healthcare to those of us in need. She was unselfish in her devotion to our father through many health issues. Margaret served on the University of South Alabama Foundation from 1992 forward where she made good friends. She was especially interested in the work of the Timber Committee and planted two special pine trees in her yard. Our mother loved eating ice cream with all her family and having ice cream outings with our friend, Allen Haas, the nephew of her lifelong friend Shirley Jo Hays. She had been excited about having a potted garden and enjoyed feeding birds, turtles, and cats at her house.

Margaret was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Edward W. Young, her parents, Alfred and Lucile Delchamps, and her brother Fred Delchamps. She is survived by her sister, Lucile Fleming of North Carolina, children Maria Young and John (Shelley) Young of Montana, Margaret Anne Young and Edward Young of Mobile, and Kathryn (John) Leach of Mississippi. Her grandchildren are David (Lindsey) Sterling and Joshua Weaver of Mobile, John Edward Weaver of Birmingham, Allen (Kate) and Matt (Mary) Young of Montgomery, Elizabeth (Elliot) Dahlen of Alaska, and Jacob and Lillian Young of Montana. Her seven great grandchildren are Sophie, Emma, Margo, John Paul, Charlotte, Hugh and Harrison. Her niece and five nephews include Al (Victoria) Delchamps, Tom (Carole) Delchamps, Carolyn (Bert) Eichold, Rick (Tracy) Nelson, Rob (Kathy) Nelson and Wayne (Kim) Nelson. She is also survived by many great nieces and nephews and great great nieces and nephews. Three of her grand and great granddaughters have Margaret as middle names. She will be remembered fondly and sorely missed.

Donations in her memory can be made to Dauphin Way United Methodist Church. A Memorial Service will be celebrated at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, February 16, 2024 in the Chapel of Dauphin Way United Methodist Church.