James Thomas (J.T.) Young was the only son of Curtis and Vera Shields Young. Though the Young family called Fort Worth, Texas home for most of their lives, Curtis worked as an electrician in Pascagoula, Mississippi during the World War II years. It was in Pascagoula where J.T. was born on July 29, 1944. The family returned to Fort Worth after the war and made their home on Grand Avenue. He was the middle child with one older sister and one younger sister.
Being the only son, J.T. was expected to toe the line; however, he quickly developed an independent streak and quick obedience was not always something that came easily for him. What did come easily was the ability to grow into a man who was respected by other men. He was a man who could think for himself. When he met someone, he evaluated them, and if they passed his muster, they were OK in his book. He embraced those fortunate people that he let near to his heart and held them close. He did not toss out casual endearments but if you were loved and respected, he let you know.
Though he sometimes embodied the strong and tough Texan image in his cowboy hats, creased jeans, and boots, he came to share his life and times with a multitude of friends and co-workers. He could appear stern to those who did not know him, but he really had a heart of gold and loved his family and friends dearly.
He married young and was the father of a little girl and boy before he was twenty. When that little girl died suddenly at the age of 4 after surgery for a congenital heart condition, his heart was broken. That strong heart never quite recovered from the loss of his only beloved daughter. He eventually was father to three sons, and those boys had a father who was involved in their lives both for fun activities as well as for guidance. Yet he always missed his little girl, Kelly, and everyone was touched when he died 33 years to the day after his daughter’s death. Kelly died on April 6, 1966 and J.T. died after emergency heart surgery on April 6, 1999.
J.T. was an electrician from the age of 9 years old when he began helping his dad with the family business. He went on to be a successful electrician, supervising the wiring of skyscrapers in Fort Worth, and getting called to lead teams of electricians in the Fort Worth – Dallas area. He also was an electrician supervisor at Braniff Terminal at DFW Airport when it was being built. In his later years, he lived in Florida and Pennsylvania supervising jobs for companies there, returning to Fort Worth in the mid-1990s.
He was a man with a multitude of interests. He spent time building race cars and drag racing in the 1960s and 1970s. He was known on the drag racing circuit for his race car, Different Drummer. He held the world drag racing speed record in 1971 for a short period before his record speed of 191.48 mph was broken. Those drag racers of the time spent all their efforts on breaking the record and going faster. Still, he had the trophy and the certificate to prove that he was, indeed, the drag racing champion of the world for a time.
He was also a rancher, and he owned a small ranch and enjoyed raising a few cows, horses, pigs, chickens, and doing some gardening. He then developed an interest in antiques and became quite knowledgeable about them. He enjoyed furnishing his home with unique antiques such as a optometrist's chair that sat in his den and served as his easy chair. He could talk with any antique dealer with knowledge about their merchandise. He also went into the home construction business, and he was doing that at the time of his death.
He will always be missed and loved by his family. Before his death at the age of 54, he was proud grandpa to 3 grandchildren. There are now 3 more grandsons and great-granddaughters that he would have dearly loved to have known. Those of us who knew him and got to share times in his life feel privileged that we had that chance to walk beside him for a time and to now hold memories of a special man.
(Bio by: Ginny Dunaway Young)
Being the only son, J.T. was expected to toe the line; however, he quickly developed an independent streak and quick obedience was not always something that came easily for him. What did come easily was the ability to grow into a man who was respected by other men. He was a man who could think for himself. When he met someone, he evaluated them, and if they passed his muster, they were OK in his book. He embraced those fortunate people that he let near to his heart and held them close. He did not toss out casual endearments but if you were loved and respected, he let you know.
Though he sometimes embodied the strong and tough Texan image in his cowboy hats, creased jeans, and boots, he came to share his life and times with a multitude of friends and co-workers. He could appear stern to those who did not know him, but he really had a heart of gold and loved his family and friends dearly.
He married young and was the father of a little girl and boy before he was twenty. When that little girl died suddenly at the age of 4 after surgery for a congenital heart condition, his heart was broken. That strong heart never quite recovered from the loss of his only beloved daughter. He eventually was father to three sons, and those boys had a father who was involved in their lives both for fun activities as well as for guidance. Yet he always missed his little girl, Kelly, and everyone was touched when he died 33 years to the day after his daughter’s death. Kelly died on April 6, 1966 and J.T. died after emergency heart surgery on April 6, 1999.
J.T. was an electrician from the age of 9 years old when he began helping his dad with the family business. He went on to be a successful electrician, supervising the wiring of skyscrapers in Fort Worth, and getting called to lead teams of electricians in the Fort Worth – Dallas area. He also was an electrician supervisor at Braniff Terminal at DFW Airport when it was being built. In his later years, he lived in Florida and Pennsylvania supervising jobs for companies there, returning to Fort Worth in the mid-1990s.
He was a man with a multitude of interests. He spent time building race cars and drag racing in the 1960s and 1970s. He was known on the drag racing circuit for his race car, Different Drummer. He held the world drag racing speed record in 1971 for a short period before his record speed of 191.48 mph was broken. Those drag racers of the time spent all their efforts on breaking the record and going faster. Still, he had the trophy and the certificate to prove that he was, indeed, the drag racing champion of the world for a time.
He was also a rancher, and he owned a small ranch and enjoyed raising a few cows, horses, pigs, chickens, and doing some gardening. He then developed an interest in antiques and became quite knowledgeable about them. He enjoyed furnishing his home with unique antiques such as a optometrist's chair that sat in his den and served as his easy chair. He could talk with any antique dealer with knowledge about their merchandise. He also went into the home construction business, and he was doing that at the time of his death.
He will always be missed and loved by his family. Before his death at the age of 54, he was proud grandpa to 3 grandchildren. There are now 3 more grandsons and great-granddaughters that he would have dearly loved to have known. Those of us who knew him and got to share times in his life feel privileged that we had that chance to walk beside him for a time and to now hold memories of a special man.
(Bio by: Ginny Dunaway Young)
James Thomas (J.T.) Young was the only son of Curtis and Vera Shields Young. Though the Young family called Fort Worth, Texas home for most of their lives, Curtis worked as an electrician in Pascagoula, Mississippi during the World War II years. It was in Pascagoula where J.T. was born on July 29, 1944. The family returned to Fort Worth after the war and made their home on Grand Avenue. He was the middle child with one older sister and one younger sister.
Being the only son, J.T. was expected to toe the line; however, he quickly developed an independent streak and quick obedience was not always something that came easily for him. What did come easily was the ability to grow into a man who was respected by other men. He was a man who could think for himself. When he met someone, he evaluated them, and if they passed his muster, they were OK in his book. He embraced those fortunate people that he let near to his heart and held them close. He did not toss out casual endearments but if you were loved and respected, he let you know.
Though he sometimes embodied the strong and tough Texan image in his cowboy hats, creased jeans, and boots, he came to share his life and times with a multitude of friends and co-workers. He could appear stern to those who did not know him, but he really had a heart of gold and loved his family and friends dearly.
He married young and was the father of a little girl and boy before he was twenty. When that little girl died suddenly at the age of 4 after surgery for a congenital heart condition, his heart was broken. That strong heart never quite recovered from the loss of his only beloved daughter. He eventually was father to three sons, and those boys had a father who was involved in their lives both for fun activities as well as for guidance. Yet he always missed his little girl, Kelly, and everyone was touched when he died 33 years to the day after his daughter’s death. Kelly died on April 6, 1966 and J.T. died after emergency heart surgery on April 6, 1999.
J.T. was an electrician from the age of 9 years old when he began helping his dad with the family business. He went on to be a successful electrician, supervising the wiring of skyscrapers in Fort Worth, and getting called to lead teams of electricians in the Fort Worth – Dallas area. He also was an electrician supervisor at Braniff Terminal at DFW Airport when it was being built. In his later years, he lived in Florida and Pennsylvania supervising jobs for companies there, returning to Fort Worth in the mid-1990s.
He was a man with a multitude of interests. He spent time building race cars and drag racing in the 1960s and 1970s. He was known on the drag racing circuit for his race car, Different Drummer. He held the world drag racing speed record in 1971 for a short period before his record speed of 191.48 mph was broken. Those drag racers of the time spent all their efforts on breaking the record and going faster. Still, he had the trophy and the certificate to prove that he was, indeed, the drag racing champion of the world for a time.
He was also a rancher, and he owned a small ranch and enjoyed raising a few cows, horses, pigs, chickens, and doing some gardening. He then developed an interest in antiques and became quite knowledgeable about them. He enjoyed furnishing his home with unique antiques such as a optometrist's chair that sat in his den and served as his easy chair. He could talk with any antique dealer with knowledge about their merchandise. He also went into the home construction business, and he was doing that at the time of his death.
He will always be missed and loved by his family. Before his death at the age of 54, he was proud grandpa to 3 grandchildren. There are now 3 more grandsons and great-granddaughters that he would have dearly loved to have known. Those of us who knew him and got to share times in his life feel privileged that we had that chance to walk beside him for a time and to now hold memories of a special man.
(Bio by: Ginny Dunaway Young)
Being the only son, J.T. was expected to toe the line; however, he quickly developed an independent streak and quick obedience was not always something that came easily for him. What did come easily was the ability to grow into a man who was respected by other men. He was a man who could think for himself. When he met someone, he evaluated them, and if they passed his muster, they were OK in his book. He embraced those fortunate people that he let near to his heart and held them close. He did not toss out casual endearments but if you were loved and respected, he let you know.
Though he sometimes embodied the strong and tough Texan image in his cowboy hats, creased jeans, and boots, he came to share his life and times with a multitude of friends and co-workers. He could appear stern to those who did not know him, but he really had a heart of gold and loved his family and friends dearly.
He married young and was the father of a little girl and boy before he was twenty. When that little girl died suddenly at the age of 4 after surgery for a congenital heart condition, his heart was broken. That strong heart never quite recovered from the loss of his only beloved daughter. He eventually was father to three sons, and those boys had a father who was involved in their lives both for fun activities as well as for guidance. Yet he always missed his little girl, Kelly, and everyone was touched when he died 33 years to the day after his daughter’s death. Kelly died on April 6, 1966 and J.T. died after emergency heart surgery on April 6, 1999.
J.T. was an electrician from the age of 9 years old when he began helping his dad with the family business. He went on to be a successful electrician, supervising the wiring of skyscrapers in Fort Worth, and getting called to lead teams of electricians in the Fort Worth – Dallas area. He also was an electrician supervisor at Braniff Terminal at DFW Airport when it was being built. In his later years, he lived in Florida and Pennsylvania supervising jobs for companies there, returning to Fort Worth in the mid-1990s.
He was a man with a multitude of interests. He spent time building race cars and drag racing in the 1960s and 1970s. He was known on the drag racing circuit for his race car, Different Drummer. He held the world drag racing speed record in 1971 for a short period before his record speed of 191.48 mph was broken. Those drag racers of the time spent all their efforts on breaking the record and going faster. Still, he had the trophy and the certificate to prove that he was, indeed, the drag racing champion of the world for a time.
He was also a rancher, and he owned a small ranch and enjoyed raising a few cows, horses, pigs, chickens, and doing some gardening. He then developed an interest in antiques and became quite knowledgeable about them. He enjoyed furnishing his home with unique antiques such as a optometrist's chair that sat in his den and served as his easy chair. He could talk with any antique dealer with knowledge about their merchandise. He also went into the home construction business, and he was doing that at the time of his death.
He will always be missed and loved by his family. Before his death at the age of 54, he was proud grandpa to 3 grandchildren. There are now 3 more grandsons and great-granddaughters that he would have dearly loved to have known. Those of us who knew him and got to share times in his life feel privileged that we had that chance to walk beside him for a time and to now hold memories of a special man.
(Bio by: Ginny Dunaway Young)
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