Franklin Thomas Young

September 27, 1950 - December 31, 2021

Franklin Thomas Young, 71, of Topeka, passed away on December 31 of 2021.    Frank was born on September 27, 1950 in Kansas City, KS to Evangline Melton Young and Dr. Theodore Young, MD. Theodore and Evangeline met in Baltimore, MD at Johns Hopkins University. Frank’s father received his medical degree from Hopkins and his mother received her Bachelors from the Nursing School where she had been Vice-President of her nursing class. Frank lived in Kansas City with his parents for two years until June of 1952 when his mother passed away at age 27. Dr. Young, MD moved with Franklin to his hometown of Oxford, KS where Franklin’s grandmother had a farm on the Arkansas River. Zella Mitchell Young, Frank’s grandmother, helped care for him on her farm.   Dr. Young, MD married Sarah Stuber in December of 1953 and the family took up residence in Winfield where they lived until 1959 when they moved to Topeka. Frank spent most of the next 60 some years in Topeka with sojourns to the oil fields of Oklahoma, an entrepreneurship start-up opportunity in California, and Rocky Mountain summer camp counseling trips in Colorado.   Frank was a member of the First United Methodist Church for over 50 years. He attended regularly and sang in the church choir at times in his life.   Frank led the way for his younger brothers and sisters at Whitson Elementary, Capper Junior High and Topeka West High School. Frank played the clarinet at Capper and West, and ran cross-country at West. Frank joined the Marching Band at the University of Kansas where he traveled with the band to play at the Orange Bowl and see KU win their Bowl game that year in 1969. Frank was bilingual and traveled to Mexico as a student to polish his Spanish language skills.

Frank also had some skill in speaking, writing, and reading Latin. Franklin went on to get his degree in economics from Washburn University in Topeka. Frank worked in the oilfield, at Goodyear, at Pizza Hut and at Stormont Vail Regional Medical Center. Frank and his Uncle Jim Young delivered Meals on Wheels together for many years. Frank served as a board member for the Topeka Housing Authority Board of Commissioners from 2008 to 2015 and rejoined the board in 2017 as Vice Chairman. With over 2,000 housing units in nine buildings with a budget in the tens of millions, the housing authority served elderly, disabled, low income and public servant segments of society.    Frank did not marry or have children of his own but he was a caring family-oriented man who had deep and long-lasting friendships. He poured lots of love into the lives of his numerous friends and family, the 13 cousins and his 17 nieces and nephews. Frank was loyal to a fault and solid as a rock.   Surviving Franklin are his three sisters and two brothers - Heather (Rusty) Young, Rachael (Ed) Welch and Genevieve (Greg) Roberts, Ralph Young and Ted Young; also surviving are 11 cousins and 17 nieces and nephews and several great nieces and nephews.   Memorial Contributions may be made to the Topeka Public Library, Washburn University, or the First United Methodist Church.   A Celebration of Life Service will be live streamed from the 1st UMC Sanctuary beginning at 1pm on 1/22/22. At 2pm there will be a sharing time in the Fellowship Hall with virtual attendance by Zoom as an option.   

1 PM Streaming Link:  www.forthegoodofthecity.org/livestream  

2PM Zoom link:  

https://zoom.us/j/8077151726?pwd=UzZBU2IzektTbkNVYURxRDM0VzBvQT09

Meeting ID: 807 715 1726 Passcode: 686357