William R. Young

EAST LONGMEADOW - William R. “Bill” Young, 92, of East Longmeadow passed away on May 1, 2015 after a courageous battle with cancer. Bill is survived by his beloved wife Beth and two sons, Robert and his wife Karla and David and his wife Mary all of Feeding Hills, and 5 much loved grandchildren. He graduated in 1940 from the High School of Commerce where he excelled in sports and was inducted into the Springfield Public Schools Sports Hall of Fame. During his freshman year under a full sports scholarship to AIC, he was drafted to serve in World War II and proudly served his county as a medic in Italy. After the war, he earned a B.A. degree in history from Syracuse University and then a Master's Degree in archaeology from the Univ. of Michigan. Bill then began a lengthy and distinguished career as a teacher for the City of Springfield, primarily in history at Classical High School. During a sabbatical at the Univ. of Chicago he met his beloved Beth and shared his love and life for 53 years. They settled in East Longmeadow to raise their family and embark on careers as educators. During summer vacations, Bill pursued his true passion of archaeology. His focused on the history of the CT Valley Native American Indian, including the discovery of several relics which are still on display at the Springfield Science Museum. Bill was chosen as the curator of archaeology for the Springfield Science Museum and selected to edit a published book on the CT Valley Indians. After “retiring” in 1984, he joined the Peace Corps where he established a museum of archeology and history on the island of Antigua. Bill truly lived a full, happy, adventurous, hard-working, selfless and regret free life. His family wishes to thank the staff of Mercy Hospice for their compassionate care of Bill and his family. All arrangements will be private. New England Funeral & Cremation Center, LLC 25 Mill Street, Springfield, MA is entrusted with the arrangements. In lieu of flowers or other remembrances, the family kindly requests charitable donations to The Springfield Science Museum, 21 Edwards Street, Springfield, MA 01103 or Mercy Hospice, 1236 Main Street, Suite 303, Holyoke, MA 01040. Visit www.nefcc.net We invite you to send a message of condolence to the Young family atwww.nefcc.net

William R. Young

September 1, 1922 - May 1, 2015