Larry Young

submitted by: Pierson Green


On May 2, 1943 in Northern Ohio Douglas and Nava Young had a son. They named him Larry Young. Larry was the oldest of five children. He had three sisters named Sue, Rita, and Kay. He also had a brother named Jerry. Growing up in the 1940s and 1950s was very different then growing up today. Larry spent most of his time outside. His favorite things to do were ride his bike and play baseball. When he was 8 years old he moved to California. That is where he fell in love with the ocean. He also got his first pet, which was a dog. Even though being the oldest child was sometimes hard, Larry loved living in a big family. His house was full of happiness. His favorite tradition that he continued for the rest of his life was having a big Christmas dinner.

In school Larry had good grades. His favorite subject was shop class. That is where he first learned electrical work. After school his first job was working at a gas station. He saved his money and was able to buy his first car, which was a 1949 Chevy. In 1960 Larry graduated from Banning High School. He chose to join the U.S. Navy. In the navy he worked as an electrician on the air carrier U.S.S. Constellation CVA-64. They sailed from California all the way to New York! One night his friend from his ship brought him to a family dinner. There Larry met Carole. Larry and Carole fell in love and they were married in 1962. Ten months later they had their first child, Larry Jr. Larry continued to work in the navy for another three years. He was even anchored in the Gulf of Tonkin off of the coast of Vietnam.

In 1965 Larry left the navy. He started working in a factory making synthetic rubber. This gave him a lot more time at home and his family grew. Larry and Carole had two more sons, Gary and Jeff, and a daughter, Dyane. After 12 years of working Larry decided to get his contractors license. He would spend the rest of his working years building. Something he really enjoyed.

Today, Larry enjoys reading and taking care of his orchids. He still listens to 1960s Rock and Roll music and dreams about the beach. If he could live anywhere it would be a tropical island. Larry and Carole are still married after 62 years. They have 14 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. His favorite days are spent enjoying a good burger surrounded by family.