Hugh Clifford Young

Hugh Clifford Young was born on June 9th, 1924 in Tinmouth, Vermont, on a farm that still remains in the family, the child of Truman D. Young, Sr. and Eva B. Young. He died on June 28, 2019 in Portland, Maine, after a short illness. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Carolyn Kelley Young, of Portland; his son, D. Kelley Young, his daughter-in-law, Sharon-Lee Brinkman-Young, of Portland; his granddaughter, Alexandra Brinkman-Young and her husband, James Marsden, of Oxford, England; his brother, Paul Young, of Rutland, Vermont; his brother, Richard Young, of Pahrump, Nevada, and many nieces and nephews. His parents, Truman D. Young, Sr. and Eva B. Young, his sisters, Lillian, Helen, Elizabeth, Josephine, Theresa, Ruth, and Charlotte; and his brothers, Truman Jr., Robert, and Hadwin predeceased him.

Like many American men born in the mid-1920s, Hugh’s life was forever changed when he enlisted in the Army at age 18 upon his graduation from Wallingford High School. However, unlike the D-day survivors recently in the news, he did not see combat but was given the job of working in Eisenhower’s headquarters, first in Bushey Park in London and then at Versailles Palace (where they were put him up in the stables). He loved to tell stories of being forced to shovel an unusual thing called coal in London (having not seen much of that in rural Vermont) and hearing all the planes fly overhead during the Blitz and D-day. While on administrative duty in Bushey Park when the invasion was planned, he received from home a coffee can full of popcorn kernels, something not easily found in London at the time, causing quite a sensation. Eisenhower made Hugh a life-long Republican, if the son of a Vermont farmer in the middle 20th century could have been anything else. Politics fascinated him until the last days of his life.

Upon returning to Vermont from World War II, Hugh enrolled at the University of Vermont under the GI bill, partly to be near Carolyn, whom he went to school with in Wallingford and was then a few years into her college studies. He lasted at UVM only a few weeks; after the responsibility of the war, working for a living was something he did not want to delay.

The Korean war recalled Hugh into the Army, but again he was given non-combat duty, serving out the conflict in Germany. Returning to Vermont, he remained in the National Guard for 20 years, rising to the rank of Captain, and taking great pride in his service and earning a life-long pension and health insurance.

Hugh’s worked in Rutland for many years at Landon’s Hardware where he became a back-office clerk and bookkeeper. Supportive of business owners, he spoke fondly of Landon’s owners, Joe Tailby, and Gilbert and Edward Godnick.

Hugh was active in many community activities in Wallingford, including being elected to the Selectboard, and being on the boards of the Congregational Church and Green Hill Cemetery. While a director of the Cemetery, he gained many years of laughs from receiving a catalogue addressed to “Occupant, Green Hill Cemetery.” He said those customers “aren’t going to buy much.” Now, to his amusement, after all these years, he too will be an occupant of Green Hill Cemetery.

His local service and connections lead him to be named the first business manager of the Castleton Medical Center with Doctors David Congdon, Robert Cross and James Perry. Using the skills he learned working to keep the Army headquarters moving, he thrived working to keep medical talent on a stable business footing.

Through Carolyn’s family, Hugh gained his final job and fulfilled his dream of being a business owner, running Dawson’s Fuel in Wallingford from his basement office in the 1970s and early ‘80s.

Retirement brought Hugh and Carolyn to Palm Harbor, Florida, where Hugh continued his community service, primarily through the George Young Memorial Church.

For the past twelve years, Hugh and Carolyn have lived in retirement communities in Maine to be close to their immediate family, currently the Osher Inn at Cedars. In Maine, Hugh continued spending much of his leisure time gardening; in particular, he loved working in the greenhouse at the Atrium. He will be fondly remembered as someone who made people feel part of his family, including by his daughter-in-law, Shari who shared his love of flowers and gardens as well as Alex’s husband James, an historian, who loved to hear about Hugh’s adventures in the US Army and Allied Forces.

Hugh’s family members very much appreciate the care and patience the wonderful Osher Inn staff gave him. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Hugh’s memory to The Cedars, 630 Ocean Avenue, Portland, ME 04103, to be used to maintain or improve the greenhouse. https://www.thecedarsportland.org/giving/ways-to-give/

On Thursday, July 11th, Hugh’s family will have a memorial reception at The Osher Inn, recreation room, 2nd floor, 620 Ocean Avenue, Portland, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.

There will be a graveside service on Saturday, July 27th, 1:30 pm, at Green Hill Cemetery, 322 South Main Street, Wallingford Vermont and a reception after the service at the First Congregational Church.