James Winslow Young

My name is James Winslow Young and I passed from this life on July 8, 2026, from advanced stage pancreatic cancer to continue my passage through the eternities as a faithful servant of my Savior, Jesus Christ, where I will be with my devoted wife Esther Marlene Clark.

I was born in Binghampton, Arizona, on 17 September 1936, the seventh child of a family of eight children of my mother, Helen McRae, and father, Everett Alma Young. I was preceded in death by my parents and six of my siblings, Ralph Everett, Gwendolyn, Patricia Helen, Silvia, Thomas Joseph, and Richard Wayne, as well as our first grandchild Morgan Winslow Young, a son Dwayne Marcellus, and wife of 64 1/2 years Esther Marlene Clark. I am survived by our son Mark Winslow (Tia), daughters Kathleen Paradise, Dianne Whitten, 8 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.

I graduated from BYU in 1961 with a Bachelor of Engineering Science in Chemical Engineering while also being sworn in as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. After pilot training at Laredo AFB, Texas, I was assigned to provide base flight support for the Ballistic Systems Division at Norton AFB, San Bernardino, California, where I was checked out to fly the U3A, C-47, T-29 (now the C-131) and the C-118. From Norton AFB. I was reassigned to the First Air Commando Squadron at the Bien Hoa Air Base, Vietnam, where I flew both the C-47 and the AC-47 gunship, call sign “Puff, the Magic Dragon”, for a total of 289 combat missions. My final duty station was Mather AFB, Sacramento, California, flying the T-29 Navigator Trainer.

I graduated from the University Law School at the University of Utah in 1970 and was also admitted to practice before the United States Patent Office as a Patent Attorney, where I enjoyed serving many clients across the nation in the intellectual property needs. While a student at BYU, I was called to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Northwestern States Mission, serving and bringing the gospel to many diverse people, including a large congregation of Seventh-day Adventists. I continued to serve in the Church holding callings in the ward and as a stake high council member. I served as an ordinance worker in the Bountiful Utah Temple for 10 1/2 years. In my service, I strived to make every person I came in contact with know that God was aware of them and that He loved them.

I was sealed for time and all eternity to my beautiful wife, Marlene, on 3 June 1960, in the Salt Lake Temple. We proceeded to have our 4 children throughout my Air Force career and schooling. We loved raising our family together. We built our forever home in Centerville, Utah, 50 years ago. Marlene was the greatest blessing of my life. We watched many sunsets together. Home was heaven on earth because of her kindness. We grew an extensive garden and orchard with over 100 different varieties of fruit and nut trees. One of the great joys of that experience was to share our bounteous harvest with others.

I have a strong testimony and faith in my Savior Jesus Christ. I believe in having an attitude of gratitude and I have a testimony of the blessings that rain down from heaven from paying tithing. I know our Heavenly Father and Savior have a plan for us. As we follow Their plan, we will be blessed in this life and have a joyful reunion and many blessings in the next. I look forward to this next great adventure!

Thank you to all of my family, ward members, and loved ones for their care and kindness towards me. And a special thank you to Stephanie, RN, with Atlas Homecare for her great care and expertise.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at the Centerville South Stake Center, 270 North 300 East, Centerville, Utah. A viewing will be held from 9:30-10:45 a.m. on Wednesday at the church prior to services.

Services will be streamed live on the Russon Mortuary & Crematory YouTube channel and on this obituary below. 

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