In Memoriam: Thomas Young, Jr.
Thomas Young, Jr. April 2, 1928 ~ June 30, 2023
Tom’s father started the family business, Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO), in 1920 and Tom Jr. built it into what it is today, 103 years later. He is dearly loved by his coworkers.
He was born in Ogden, the fifth of six children to Thomas and Elmina Young. When he was 9 years old the family moved to Normandie Circle in Salt Lake. Tom attended Utah Elementary, Roosevelt Jr. High, East High and the University of Utah. Tom began working at Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO) when he was 14 and just celebrated his 80th anniversary with the company. He was the president and CEO for 18 years and for the last 35 years, Chairman of the Board. During many of Tom’s years at YESCO, he was an active private pilot flying Beechcraft Bonanzas and Barons.
He built a lifelong commitment, dedication and loyalty to Jesus Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and helped build the church on two missions. He served in the British Mission from 1948-1950 and married Dwan Louise Jacobsen in 1951 in the Salt Lake Temple. They lived in Canyon Rim, Cottonwood and for the last 62 years in the St. Mary’s neighborhood in Salt Lake City, where he served in numerous ward and stake leadership positions. Tom was a builder. He built a loving and eternal partnership with his dear wife, Dwan. Most importantly, Tom loved Dwan beyond measure. He served her and she served him. They recently celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary.
He and Dwan built a family of 5 children, 24 grandchildren and 58 great grandchildren and spouses. Tom and Dwan’s children are Mike and Karen Young, Paul and Kathryn Young, Christine and Steve Knudson, Suzanne and Steve Jones and Jeff and Cathy Young.
Tom loved serving in the community as an active member of the Salt Lake Rotary Club for 65 years and received the Rotary Summit Award in 2022. He is also the recipient of Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award as well as the Distinguished Service award from the International Sign Association.
Tom delighted in music and played the harmonica, accordion, trumpet, French horn and organ. For 63 years the family has had a Bear Lake cabin near Fish Haven, Idaho. It has been and will continue to be a place of refuge, hard work, fun and family love. With his own hands he built cabins at Bear Lake, docks, flagpoles, medicine cabinets, light fixtures, handcarts, signs (of course), stools, floats, photographic dark rooms, stereo speakers, on and on. But most of all Tom built others by his selfless, generous and untiring work and example.
Tom lived this scripture to its fullest, “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”
Funeral services will be held at 12:00 PM on Saturday, July 8, 2023
Monument Park Stake Center, 1320 South Wasatch Drive, Salt Lake City.
Visitation on Friday, July 7th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm and Saturday from 10:00 to 11:30 am, prior to the funeral at the church. For those unable to attend, the funeral will be
streamed via Zoom.
Services Handled By Larkin Mortuary
Sign the Guestbook or watch the services via Zoom.
Teresa M. Young has been a consultant to entrepreneurs since 1986, in both retail and B2B sectors. In 1991, she became President of Sign Biz, Inc., a full-service business development company. Young sits on multiple boards, including as Past Chairwoman of both the International Sign Association (ISA) and California Sign Association. She is an accomplished code writer, web developer and contributor to the Git Repository. Young is also an in-demand speaker, engaging business owners with topical and powerful business insights and strategies in support of best business practices and modern marketing strategies under her MintyWorks and Coffee with T brands. 200 click-and-mortar enterprises were established under the Sign Biz business model with more than $19,000,000 worth of SBA-backed funding for these businesses.