James Louis Young's Obituary
James Louis Young was born in Pryor, Oklahoma on July 8, 1948 to Norma Lee Franklin and James Herbert Young. He passed away on March 20, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
James grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma and graduated from Nathan Hale High School in 1966. He then attended OSU, earning a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1971. In 1972, he entered the Navy, serving both in active duty and the Naval Reserves. He then attended OU in 1975 to study geology, where he met his future spouse, Carol Saunders. While there, he interviewed with Amoco and was hired as an exploration geophysicist. He moved to Houston, TX, and Carol followed shortly after. They were married in 1979.
After working for Amoco, James earned a Master of Science in Physics, and he and Carol moved to Oklahoma City in 1985. James loved teaching, and obtained his teaching certificate, teaching Chemistry for a short time at a Norman Middle School. When his health made this difficult, he worked in retail for a time before being hired in 1988 to work in Dr. Robert Hurst's urology research lab at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. While there, he worked more and more with computers, teaching himself computer science, and eventually transferred to the Information Technology Department. As a "Tier One" IT employee, he supported computers for three departments: Urology, Neurology and Neurosurgery. He retired in 2011 after 22 years of service with OUHSC. In retirement, he and Carol traveled and visited friends and relatives.
When his mother-in-law's health deteriorated, they moved to Tulsa to be close to her and to both families. James had many health challenges in his later years but never lost his sense of humor. James had a keen, inquisitive mind, and never tired of learning new things. He also loved music, science, film, and the beauty and wonder of the natural world. He will be sorely missed by the friends and family he loved. He continued to find joy in the small things, especially playing with his beloved dog, "Sugar". He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Carol Young, a brother, Ronald Young, of Appleton City, MO, a stepfather, Larry T. Clark, of Tulsa, a stepmother, Mary McNight of Moore, OK, two nieces, Michelle Geiger and family, of Tahlequah and Kristy DaRosa and her family, of Broken Arrow, as well as several nieces and nephews and one great-nephew.
A celebration of James life will be held on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at 10am at Floral Haven Funeral Home Chapel in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. A reception will follow the service for family and friends to continue sharing their memories of James.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Arthritis Foundation.
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