John Young Obituary

John D. Young

Jun 7, 1929 - Dec 16, 2025

Port Clinton

John D. Young, a brilliant engineer, devoted family man, and lifelong enthusiast of all things mechanical, passed away peacefully Tuesday, December 16, 2025, surrounded by family after a life well-lived. He was born June 7, 1929, to Lawrence "Bud" and Margaret "Peg" (Mays) Young in Findlay.

John was married to Elizabeth for 65 years. He is also survived by his children, Julie Newman, Amy (Phil) Gutkoski, Laurie (Paul) Swartz, and John (Mary) Young. He will be deeply missed by his 14 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren, with a few more on the way.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Charlene Stephens; and son-in-law, Dan Newman.

A proud member of Findlay High School Class of 1947, John went on to serve his country as a Korean War veteran in the Navy from 1948 to 1952, where he served on the USS Corry as an Electronics Technician 1st Class, searching for enemy submarines. Following his military service, he attended Indiana Technical College and began a distinguished career as an engineer at Radio Corporation of America in Findlay. At RCA, he manufactured and qualified semiconductor devices for military applications. His ingenuity led him to work on numerous pioneering projects, including contributions to the development of the Voyager 1 spacecraft, which is notably still in use and will soon be one light-day away from Earth. In a memorable moment of accidental innovation, he also independently developed an early version of the LED light bulb years before it became common. He retired from GE in 1989.

John and his family relocated to Catawba Island in 1972, where his deep passion for transportation continued to flourish. While he never quite developed a love for being in the water, he enjoyed working with boats. He was exceptionally fond of planes, lending his skills to restore and maintain a tri-motor at the Port Clinton airport. His greatest mechanical joy, however, was trains. His home housed dozens of meticulously cared-for model trains, and he became well-known around Catawba Island for the elaborate models he loved to run in his backyard.

At home, John was a man of distinct comforts and impressive self-reliance. He was rarely seen without a sweatshirt, wearing one every day of the year with few exceptions. He was the ultimate do-it-yourselfer, possessing the knowledge and tools for every repair; consequently, he never had to call a repairman. This expertise was built, in part, on his lifelong habit of never throwing away a single instruction manual. In his downtime, he enjoyed the simple pleasures of playing solitaire and flying his computer pilot simulator, fueled by a diet of primarily Coca-Cola and hot dogs. He was a fan of big band music and did tracks for his kids' synchronized swimming routines for years.

John's family is profoundly thankful to all the doctors, nurses, and medical staff who helped him thrive and exceed medical expectations over several decades.

Services will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to American Cancer Society.