Ronald Ray Young

Ronald Ray Young, 79, of Robinson, IL, passed away on January 29, 2022, at Carle Richland Memorial Hospital in Olney, IL. He was born December 19, 1942, in Holden, WV, the son of Charles W. Young & Dorothy M. (Coldiron) Young, both of whom preceded him in death. He is survived by his daughters, Shelley Lynn & Matthew Yankauskas (Hebron, IN), Shawna Sue & Mark Smith (Dyer, IN), and Tina Young; by his granddaughter, Jessica Smith; by his brother & sister-in-law, Chuck & Karen Young (West Union, IL); by his nephew & niece-in-law, Kyle Richard & Allisen Young (West Union, IL); by his niece & nephew-in-law, Cara & Alex Stout (Vienna, IL); by his great-nephews, Oliver, Lane, and Tucker Stout; by Byrl Wayne "Shotgun" Mehler and several other extended family members. Ron grew up in West Virginia before his family moved to the Chicagoland area. Here, a love of music was embedded into his DNA, and he was even able to dance on Dick Clark's American Bandstand! A talented guitarist and singer, a young Ron was the lead vocalist of The Continentals before getting married and settling down. He would find work as a steelworker for Youngstown/LTV Steel in East Chicago for many years before taking an early retirement and moving to southern Illinois to care for his mother. This season of his life was particularly sweet for him, as he appreciated the stillness of small-town living. Though he had spent years enjoying northern Illinois delicacies such as Sizzler and Aurelio's Pizza, upon moving down south, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Tuscany Grill became staples of his day to day living. Much of his free time found Ron caring for his many beloved cars, his last being a Silver Pontiac he named the "Silver Fox". He was not a bad-looking guy himself and could still make the ladies swoon at Timber Creek Village, where he spent the twilight years of his life. We who are left behind will remember Ron Young as a soft-spoken and kind-hearted soul. Though his song has ended, we are thankful that his melody lingers on in the hearts of all who knew him. It was Ron's wish to be cremated without public services. The Goodwine Funeral Home in Robinson is in charge of arrangements.