Robert A. Young

Born Oct. 25, 1936, in Barnstable, to Clarence and Helen (Gorman) Young, Bob was raised in Needham. He was a graduate of Needham High School and Massachusetts Maritime Academy where he obtained a B.S. in Marine and Electrical Engineering in 1957 and was an active alumnus throughout this life. He later obtained a B.A. in Political Science from the U.S. Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, California.

Over the course of his 24-year Navy career, Bob served in the Vietnam War and on sea tours including duty as Engineering Officer on the USS Blair, First Lt. on the USS Whetstone, Naval Advisor to the South Vietnamese Sea and Coastal Forces, Chief Engineer on the USS Pocono, Executive Officer of the USS Diamond Head, Operations Officer on the Staff of Commander Amphibious Group Two, and Commanding Officer of Assault Craft Unit Two, Virginia Beach, Virginia.

His shore assignments included Operations Officer with the New London, CT, Test and Evaluation Detachment and Provost Marshall and Security Officer on the Staff of Iceland Defense Force and U.S. Naval Station, Keflavik, Iceland.

The complete history of Bob’s military career is included in the book “A Time for War: Veterans’ Stories from One American Town: Scituate, Massachusetts” by Ronald Wheatley.

Following his military career, Bob worked as a consultant to the Environmental Protection Agency. He continued to spend time at sea as a Licensed Master Mariner operating yachts and ferry boats along the Atlantic Seaboard.

Bob was a charter member and former commander of the American Legion Post 144, which presented him with the Pioneer Award for his work, along with five of his fellow veterans, to form and recharter Scituate Post 144.

He was also a charter member of the Legion of Honor of Aleppo Temple, Wilmington, and a member of the Royal Order of Jesters Boston Court No. 103.

Bob is survived by his wife of 64 years, Eileen (Doucet) Young, a former Army nurse whom he met while both were stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii. Army-Navy football game days became legendary events in the Young household.

He was the father of Kathleen Judge of Scituate, Martha Young of Coventry, Rhode Island; and the late Robert A. Young Jr. He was the grandfather of five: Colleen Judge of Wichita, Kansas; Richard Anthony Judge of Orlando, Florida; Sarah Judge of Carver, and Michael Judge and Daniel Judge, both of Pembroke. Bob is also survived by his son-in-law, retired Scituate Fire Chief Richard Judge, nieces and nephews, and a host of friends, fraternal organization brothers and sisters, and fellow veterans. In addition to his parents and son, he was predeceased by his brother, Gordon “Gig” Young and sister, Beverly Rader.

A Visitation and Service will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 21, from 9-11 a.m. at the Richardson-Gaffey Funeral Home, 382 First Parish Rd., Scituate. Burial will be private at Bourne National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Bob’s memory may be made to Shriners’ Hospital for Children, 51 Blossom St., Boston, MA 02114, where he volunteered hundreds of hours of service over the course of his lifetime.