We’re saddened to announce Lewis W. Young, lifelong adventurer, eternal tinkerer, and perhaps the true originator of the “dad joke,” passed away in Modesto on December 11, 2022.
Born March 3, 1941 to the late Gayle A. and Lewis J. Young in Canton, Ohio, he spent his childhood with his older sister Donna Bolton, now of Wilton, CA, and younger brother Ron Young, now of Painesville, Ohio.
A dedicated husband, father and grandfather, Lew was surrounded by girls. He leaves behind his beloved Shelley of Manteca, happily married 57 years, and their daughters Elaine Paniewski (Slavek Paniewski), Emma Young (John Emmert), Elizabeth Young (Jeff Prather), and Emily Brandt (Scott Brandt). Four daughters weren’t enough, so they went on to have five granddaughters: Ava and Sarah Brandt, Abigail and Anne Prather, and Evelyn Emmert.
Lew maintained, “Every child should have a dog” and he always had a faithful canine companion by his side, including Bandit, whom Lew adopted by the waves in Pismo Beach and who survives him. Sneaking Bandit some bacon and bringing him back leftovers from restaurants was a favorite secret pastime for Lew.
Lew was a gifted mechanic and mathematician and could “MacGyver” or repair about any invention you needed. These talents served him well throughout multiple career paths. He served an apprenticeship for 4 ½ years, followed by Maintenance Supervisor from 1962-1966, at Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. Drafted into the U.S. Army, Lew volunteered for flight school, becoming a noted helicopter pilot and working aircraft maintenance during two tours in Vietnam. He stayed in the Army and eventually retired in 1986 as a Major. Lew earned his Bachelor’s at University of Nebraska at Omaha and his MBA at Adelphi University, applying this education to his post-military career at Northrop Grumman in Sunnyvale, managing three departments, Production Control, Production Systems, and Production Planning from 1986 until retirement in 2001. Despite career success, his greatest inventions were for fun, including converting aluminum Bud Light cans into flashlights, and using them as object puns. “Want a Bud Light?” “Need a light?” His daughters on multiple roadside occasions have praised that he taught them how to change a tire.
In retirement, Lew enjoyed traveling overseas with Shelley, on cruises, and in their motorhome across the U.S., all while continuing to play regular games of bridge with friends, work on repairing and restoring classic cars, and volunteering, often in leadership roles, through organizations such as the Al Kaly Shriners of Colorado Springs, CO, the Escalon Masonic Lodge #154, the National Camping Travelers Club- Gold Panners #154, the Central Valley Corvair Club, the Ultra Van Motor Coach Club, the American Legion, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was an active member of the Camellia Gardens Homeowners Association.
P.L. Fry and Son is honored to serve the Young family. A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, January 8, 2023 at
11:00 a.m. at P.L. Fry and Son, 290 North Union Road, Manteca, CA and all are invited to attend. A private family burial will be had where Lew will be laid to rest with full military honors at the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery in Santa Nella, CA.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Lew's name to Shriner's Children's Hospital, 2425 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95817, Manteca Ambulance, 245 E. Center St., Manteca, CA 95336 or the Manteca Fire Department, 1154 South Union Road Manteca, CA 95336
Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin
Saturday, December 31, 2022
