John "Jay" William Young

John William Young, born 8/4/1947 in Ferrum, Virginia to George William and Hazel Virginia Young passed from this life after a long, courageous battle with lung cancer. He is survived by the love of his life, Linda Ann, whom he had been married to for 54 years in August; his daughter, Deanna and her husband Gary; as well as 2 grandchildren, Sophie and Benjamin who adored him; as well as his sisters Linda Schneider (Charlie) and Shirley Baker (Terry); brothers George and Tom (Carol); as well as many beloved cousins, nieces and nephews. He was very close to and loved by Linda’s family: Margaret, Rose, JR and Frank, as well as their families. He was a father figure to many “adopted” daughters in his life – whom he loved dearly. John was preceded in death by his parents, Hazel and George, and his sisters-in-law, Peggy Welsh and Bev Young. We know they were there to greet him as he entered heaven.

Jay, as he was known to friends and family, loved to watch Nascar races, educational shows on History and Discovery, as well as silly shows like “River Monsters” with his grandson. He was happiest when he was taking care of Linda, fishing with Ben, goofing off with Sophie, hanging out with his canine pal, Murphy and watching his blue birds and hummingbirds thrive on his back deck. Jay also enjoyed having “happy hour” on the patio with his good friend, Bob and hanging out with his close friends Donna and Gary. Daily visits from his canine pal, Bentley, were the highlight of his days toward the end. Pastor Steve Basht of Janes Church in Rising Sun ministered to Jay weekly during the last few months. Many thanks to Pastor Steve for his time and commitment to ushering Jay into God’s kingdom.

Jay was a maintenance mechanic his whole life, working over 30 years for Cytec in Havre de Grace. He prided himself on his work ethic, usually working 7 days per week for extended periods of time. Jay was driven to solve problems and fix complex machinery.

He was also a kind man who would give you the shirt off of his back if you needed it. God put people in his path who needed assistance on several occasions where Jay performed CPR, provided first aid, and evacuated people from a burning building. He never backed down from an opportunity to assist a neighbor.

A service will be held at the Tarring-Cargo Funeral Home on Tuesday, October 25 at 2:00pm with a visitation to follow until 4:00pm, another visitation will be held from 6:00pm-8:00pm. Entombment will be in Harford Memorial Gardens on Wednesday, October 26 at 10:00am.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Lung Association, Janes Church of Rising Sun and/or the Humane Society of Cecil County. 

We sincerely hope all those reading this obituary hug your loves ones, tell them you love them and live each day as if it is the last.

The family would like to offer a special thank you to the amazing team at Amedysis Hospice for their loving care.