Obituary
On November 4, 1948, Ora Dean Young became the fifth of eleven children born to Rev. William R. Young, Sr. and Mrs. Perline Leggette Young in Mound Bayou, MS. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Peggy; grandparents; many aunts, uncles and cousins and n-laws.
At a very young age, Dean accepted Christ as his personal Savior and became a dedicated choir member with Christ Temple Church of Christ Holiness USA in Drew, MS, where he utilized his talent of a very resounding bass voice. As an adult, he was an avid Bible reader, and was a Sunday School Bible Study Leader while serving diligently with Faith Christian Church in North Carolina. Also, while attending Faith Christian Church, he worked in the audio visual department and was able to exercise his acting skills as the main character in a play that was presented by the department.
Dean's educational travels began in the public schools of Mound Bayou, MS where he graduated from John F. Kennedy Memorial High School in 1967, having served as senior class president. Later, he attended several institutions of higher learning, Jarvis Christian College, Coahoma Jr. College/CCC and Memphis State University, in pursuit of technical training. To feed his creative and innovative thirst, he completed training at Barbizon Modeling School and Columbia School of Broadcasting.
Dean spent four years in the military, mainly stationed at Ft. Dix, NJ, while his overseas assignments included Thailand and Germany. Dean's initial service and training contributed to his maturation process, as he became more responsible and improved on his already considerably developed work habits. He displayed leadership skills and often encouraged others soldiers who were homesick or non-compliant. Dean spoke of the military as a great opportunity for young men not only to acquire skills, but to be able to attend college on the GI Bill. As an Army Troop Leader in Germany, he often challenged his peers not to succumb to illicit substances and other distractions. He supported the cause, believed every soldier possessed the potential to achieve and was quite proud of the military service. He was honorably discharged from the military in 1972 and relocated to Memphis, TN.
Much of Dean's career in engineering and program management carried him across forty-three states. He worked at AT&T, Sprint and MFS-Systems Verizon as an electronic tech. He did a stint as a Program Engineer contractor for the CIA in Langley, VA and the Department of Defense in Idaho. Dean also served as an union steward, dabbled in real estate and worked as a Corrections Officer at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman, MS. His strong entrepreneurial spirit led him to open a few small sales and service businesses over the years including a company called Ol' Faithful, which was also Dean's nickname. He found solace and happiness in community service as he served with the "POP" Movement of Mississippi.
He had a passion for tilling the earth as an amateur gardener, creating smoothies from the fruits of his labor, singing with that melodious bass voice and playing the guitar were among his many hobbies.
Other places he called home were Herndon, VA, Nashville, TN, Wake Forest, NC and Atlanta, GA. It is worthy of mentioning that while residing in Herndon, VA, Dean was recognized by the City of Herndon for saving the life of a motorcyclist.
Dean's forty-five year marriage to his childhood sweetheart, Tyrrie, brought forth one gracious and lovely daughter, Keelavor Deanae Young (Campbell).
Ora Dean Young's departure has left an emptiness in the hearts of his family and loved ones. The memories will be cherished by his children, Keelavor Deanae "KeeKee" Young Campbell(Scott); Seneca Leal; La'Sonji Webb(Elisha); Sibling: Lavaughn Young Dunlap, Howard L. Young, Joyce E. Young-Hunt (Carl); William R. Young, Jr. (Gwen); Purvis E. Young; Benjamin H. Young; Charles E. Young (Tina); Larry D. Young (Brenda); Debora C. Young-Gant (William); grandchildren: Xjola, Niccolai, A'jxlon, LeAsia, Iyanni (Seneca Leah) and Jayla, Dallas, Cayden and John (La'Sonji and Elisha Webb); cousins, nieces, nephews, including a special nephew "like a son" Shaun, many friends and extended family that will continue to cherish the memories.