Lionel J. Young, of Marianna, Florida, passed away on July 20, 2023. He was 82 years old and had been battling esophageal cancer.
Lionel was born in Ozark, Alabama, to Lionel Young, Sr., and Sara Nelle Covington Young. He grew up with sisters Nancy, Sara, and Mary on Panama City Beach. As a teen, he loved spending his time waterskiing and racing his homemade boat. Always of service to his community, he was a Volunteer Captain of the Fire Department in West Panama City Beach, an active member of the Optimist Club of the Beaches, a Volunteer Scout Master with Boy Scouts of America Troop 323 for 20 years, and a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
As a young adult, Lionel attended Gulf Coast Community College, earning his associate degree in accounting, and became a certified master mechanic. This sparked his passion for racing cars, flying airplanes, and sail boating. In his early twenties, he began dating Sheilia McGovern. They fell in love and were married in 1963. As a family, they loved scouting, camping, sailing, and racing cars.
Lionel was a Master Mason for sixty years and was also an active member of the Sons of the American Revolution in the states of Florida and Georgia, where he volunteered as a living history docent at many community events. Two of his greatest joys in life were traveling & participating in historical education events and teaching his grandchildren to water ski on Compass Lake.
Being a kind and dependable father was of the utmost importance to Lionel, and he certainly did not disappoint when it came to wholeheartedly loving his family. In addition to his wife Sheilia McGovern Young, Lionel is survived by his children Sara and Michael Russo (daughter and son-in-law), John and Rhonda Young (son and daughter-in-law), and Sam and Dawn Andrus (son and daughter-in-law).
Additionally, Lionel is survived by his grandchildren Jessica, Alex, Julia, Katie, T.J., Victoria, Isabella, Levi, and Arianna. Furthermore, Lionel is survived by his siblings, Nancy Young, Mary Riggs, and Sara Causey. He was preceded in passing by his parents, Lionel Young, Sr., and Sara Nelle Young.
A virtual memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 26th, at 2 pm; notification and link will be shared on Facebook. His family will be present to welcome loved ones and friends to share stories and fun memories. In place of flowers, the family requests memorial gifts to be donated to the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital at donorrelations@shrinenet.org.
Brown Funeral Home & Blue Lake Crematory of Chipley, FL is in charge of arrangements. Family and friends may sign the online register at www.brownfh.net