William "Bill" Keith Young

Rear Admiral William K. Young, NYNM (Ret), died 8 March 2019. He was 84 years old. A native of Auburn, New York, Bill spent a year at Colgate University before attending and graduating from the Naval Academy in 1958. He served eleven years on active duty in the destroyer BACHE as Combat Information Center Officer and on Destroyer Squadron 28 staff as Communications Officer. He served as Frequency Management Officer with the MAAG and COMUSMACV in Vietnam for a year and a half. He was then assigned to work in the Pentagon for the Chief of Naval Operations as Communications Manager, returning to sea aboard the attack cargo ship ARNEB as Operations Officer. His last active duty tour was as Operations Officer with the Naval Oceanographic Office in Maryland. He went to work for the Federal Civil Service, first in Washington DC for GSA, and then in Syracuse and Rome, NY, for NORAD. He was promoted and moved to Florida, where he worked for the STS Contingency Support Office, an Air Force office supporting NASA shuttle operations. While in Civil Service, on his time he also participated in the Naval Reserve and the New York Naval Militia. A reserve for over twenty years, he commanded four reserve units, including a Cruiser-Destroyer Group and a Shipboard Simulator, both units new to the Reserves. He received the Reserve Center Best Unit Award for the former and national recognition by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for the latter. He retired from the reserves as Captain. He actively participated in the New York Naval Militia, the naval arm of the New York State National Guard, for many years. He served as Central New York Region Commander for four years, retiring as Rear Admiral, Upper Half. His military awards include the Combat Action Ribbon, the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal, the Joint Meritorious Unit Medal, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (3), the RVN Cross of Gallantry Medal, and the New York State Military Commendation Medal. He was a life member in the Naval Reserve Association, and twice elected President of the Central New York Chapter. He was a life member of the Space Coast Chapter of the Navy League and the National Rifle Association, and was a member of the American Legion and the Military Officers Association of America. Bill is survived by his fiancee of thirty years, Frances Hutchens, her children and their family. Bill's celebration of life, with military honors, will be held at Beach Funeral Home, 4999 N. Wickham Road in Melbourne, Florida on July 5th at 4:00 pm. His ashes will be consigned to the sea.