Christopher Alan Young

Chris was born on April 26, 1955 in Port Arthur, Texas, to Mary and Glenn Young, the second oldest of four children. While still an infant, Chris and his older brother Joe accompanied their parents to Abadan, Iran, where his father helped build Iran’s first refinery. They returned to Port Arthur in 1957, where his younger sister, Vicki, and brother, Jeff, were born. The family moved to Groves, Texas, in 1967, where Chris attended Port Neches-Groves High School.

Chris spent his entire life learning and exploring, always wanting to know how things worked – whether it be a simple mechanical device or the entire solar system – and he looked for ways to explain how things worked to others.

A lifetime subscriber to Scientific American, Chris’s interests were broad. His fourth-grade teacher nurtured his love of science. In high school, his physics and chemistry teachers took over as mentors. He loved Boy Scouts and flying, having earned his pilot license at a young age. Somehow, he talked his parents into buying a twin-engine plane that was to be at the heart of an air charter business that never quite got off the ground.

In the fall of 1973, Chris began his journey at Texas A&M University, “cramming a four-year degree into 10 years,” as he often said. He may have been the last member of the Class of ’77 to graduate.

During his “off years” at A&M, Chris worked for a shipyard in Port Arthur. There he developed his interest in metals and metallurgy. Returning to A&M, Chris shifted his focus to engineering, earning a bachelor’s degree in Engineering Technology, with a focus on Metallurgy, in August 1982.

After A&M, Chris worked for Caporal Forging, in Stephenville, Texas, as a Metallurgical Engineer. That was followed by a lengthy stent as a manufacturer’s representative with Davis Power.

While in Stephenville, Chris met Connie Hatch, whom he married in August 1986. Connie and Chris had a daughter, Megan Deann, in December 1989.

Chris took a sales position with Radio Shack in 2002 and was quickly promoted to store manager.

Chris and Connie were divorced in December 2009, and Chris subsequently moved to Houston where his three siblings and their families lived. This was a difficult period in Chris’ life. Radio Shack was in steep decline, Houston was a foreign city to him, and his daughter remained in Arlington, where she attended college.

Chris worked several jobs in Houston before attending a job fair in 2015 sponsored by a local church. It was there that someone from Lone Star College suggested that he contact the director of the Welding Program regarding a teaching position. Shortly thereafter, Chris joined the program as an adjunct welding metallurgy instructor. In early 2018, Chris transitioned to teaching full-time while serving as the program lead for the Inspection Technology Program.

Chris loved Lone Star College. Given his own struggles through the years, he could relate to his students. He worked hard to remove their blinders and advocated for them at every turn.

The seven years Chris spent leading the Inspection Technology Program, most recently at the LSC - East Aldine Center, were the happiest of his professional life. He loved working the system at Lone Star to secure the needed equipment and teaching materials. He loved helping students overcome challenges with “the system.” And he loved being part of the Lone Star College faculty.

In May 2021, Chris’ daughter Megan and her husband Daniel Thurston gave Chris the gift of a granddaughter, Claire, followed two years later by a grandson, Dean.

Early this year, Chris was featured in advertisements that Lone Star College ran in local papers about its Workforce Programs – programs that provide an on-ramp to great careers without the cost or time commitment of a baccalaureate degree. It was a crowning moment of his career.

Chris was predeceased by his parents and his uncle, Syd Young. He is survived by his daughter, Megan Thurston, and her husband, Daniel, and their two children, Claire and Dean. Chris is also survived by his brother, Joe Young, and Joe’s wife Liz; his sister, Vicki Harvey, and her husband Bob; and his younger brother, Jeff Young, as well as one niece and seven nephews.

A memorial service will be held for Chris on Wednesday, April 23, at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, 1801 Sage Rd., at 10:30 AM. A visitation will be held Tuesday evening, April 22, at Earthman Funeral Directors, 8303 Katy Freeway, from 6-8 PM.

Serving as pallbearers at the memorial service will be Chris’ seven nephews: Aaron Young, Alex Young, Michael Harvey, Matt Young, Tom Harvey, Stephen Young, and Patrick Young.

Gifts in Chris’ honor may be made to the Lone Star College Foundation, where an endowment has been established in his name to support the Inspection Technology Program and other workforce programs at the LSC-East Aldine Center.

The family wishes to thank Dean Reyna Tippetts and the staff at Lone Star for their support during Chris’ brief illness, as well as the medical staff at Memorial Hermann Memorial City Hospital for their loving care.