Robert Edward Young of Murfreesboro, Tennessee passed away Tuesday morning, November 7, 2023, at the age of 87 years old. “Bob” was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph Edward, and Violet Agnes Young, his three sisters, Doris Lowry, Margaret Hawkins, and Evelyn Walden, and by his first wife, Gwendolyn Felts Young. He is survived by his wife, Mary Sue (Bowman) Young, one daughter, Lynne (Jerry) Maxwell of Murfreesboro, TN, four sons: Robert Edward Young, Jr. of Knoxville, TN, David Michael (Julie) Young of Murfreesboro, TN, Steven Douglas (Joye) Young of Smyrna, TN, and Brian Lee (Jodi) Young of Murfreesboro, TN, his stepdaughter, Gretchen (Bowman) Jones and her husband Marc Jones of Nashville, TN, twelve grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Born in 1936 from a marriage of an American doughboy and an English war bride, Bob was raised in Florence South Carolina. Entering the U.S. Airforce during the final days of the Korean War, he was stationed at Sewart Air Force Base in Smyrna, Tennessee, where he met Gwen Felts on a blind date, eventually marrying her and raising a family of five children, first in Antioch, Tennessee, then later, in Smyrna, Tennessee. He started his working career as a simple mail carrier at Ferro Fiberglass company in Nashville, but he eventually rose to the position of Director of Human Resources at Ferro and VP of Human Resources at Tennessee Tufting Rug Manufacturing (later called Collins and Aikman).
While living in Smyrna, Bob was appointed an elder of the Smyrna Church of Christ, where he was also a bus worker and popular teacher. Bob’s children were all raised with Smyrna as their home, and all of his children were active in the Smyrna Church of Christ.
Upon his retirement and having raised his children, Bob and Gwen moved to the Bell Buckle, Tennessee area, where he was quickly asked to become the preacher for the Bell Buckle Church of Christ after the sudden death of the church’s preacher, John Bowman. Not long after Bob took the role as the Bell Buckle preacher, Gwen died of a sudden heart attack. After several years of deep loneliness, Bob began courting the widow of John Bowman, Mary Sue Bowman, and they married and lived happily together for nineteen years, serving the Bell Buckle Church of Christ together before retiring (again) and moving to the Stones River Manor. Bob passed away peacefully on the morning of November 7, while still sharing a room with his loving wife.
Bob was a good man, a smart man, a disciplined man, and a good father. He was a Christian man, and his passing opened the door to a world for him full of joy and peace.
The children of Bob wish to thank the excellent caregivers at Stones River Manor for their love for Bob. Moreover, we wish to thank Mary Sue Young for being a good and loving wife for our father, and Gretchen and Marc for being as good as any children could be towards Bob.
The funeral service will be held at Woodfin Memorial Chapel at 2:00 PM on Sunday, November 12, 2023, with Bro. David Young officiating. The visitation will be from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will follow in the Hazel Cemetery in Bell Buckle, Tennessee with sons and grandsons serving as pallbearers.
