Obituary of William Young

William Odell Young was born on August 8, 1951 in Detroit, Michigan. He was one of four children born to the union of the late Robert Young and the late Leora (Shephard) Young. William honorably served his country in the United States Army. He married the former Vickie Joan Calkins on October 17, 1970 in Monroe. From this union came the birth of two boys: Brian and Kyle. As a young man, William enjoyed the outdoors and the challenges of camping. He supported his family as a self-employed owner and operator truck driver. He performed these tasks for more than twenty years prior to taking a medical retirement. William cherished his family, and like most grandparents he was extremely fond of his grandchildren. He looked forward to get-togethers and enjoyed light cooking. Being a social butterfly meant William knew "everybody". He didn't make it very far without stopping to socialize with someone. William liked to keep the mood light, and he could be counted on for some good-hearted ribbing or a harmless practical joke. In his downtime, William loved a good old fashioned black and white movie, watching cop shows, or tinkering around in the garage on cars or whatever else he could find. William Odell Young, age 62 of Monroe, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, April 1, 2014 at home. In addition to his parents his passing was preceded by a brother: Omer "Ray" Young; and a sister: Joyce "Fay" Kirby. To cherish his memory, William leaves his beloved wife of nearly forty-four years: Vickie; two sons: Brian William Young of Monroe and Kyle Anthony Young of Jackson; one sister: Alice (Frank) Schembri of Taylor; one brother-in-law: Jerry Kirby of Woodhaven; five grandchildren: Hunter W. Young, Dominique Young, Coiene Young, Coty Young-Mullin, and Chloe Chambers. Friends may gather from 11:00am-1:00pm on Friday, April 4, 2014 at Stewart Road Christian Ministries, 1199 Stewart Road, Monroe, MI 48162. A Celebration of His Life will follow at 1pm with Pastor Joseph Byrd officiating. Procession will follow to Michigan Memorial Park in Flat Rock for entombment. Arrangements have been entrusted to Merkle Funeral Service, 2442 North Monroe Street (734) 384-5185. In lieu of flowers memorial donations are suggested to the family to assist with funeral expenses. Online guests may leave words of inspiration and comfort, share a photo, or make a donation by visiting www.merklefs.com and then selecting the Online Tributes page.