Funeral service for Retired SFC Joseph Francis Young 67, of Harker Heights, TX will be held Wednesday, January 31, 2024, 1:00 p.m. at Chisolm's Funeral Home in Killeen, TX. Burial with full military honors will follow the service at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, TX.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, January 30, 2024 (6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.) at the funeral home.

The family kindly asks for friends and family to please wear purple or a hint of purple for the visitation and funeral service.
In lieu of flowers please send live plants.

Mr. Young passed away January 18, 2024, in Las Vegas, NV. He was born February 9, 1956, in St. Inigoes, MD.

Joseph Francis Young the kindest, gentlest, high achieving person was born on February 9, 1956, in Saint Inigoes, Maryland to Lawrence and Mary Young. The third child of 12 children. He is survived by his siblings Alma, Theresa, Alice, Shirley, Buck, and David. Left to cherish his memories are: wife, Grace Young; stepson, Kit Young; son, Marcus Young; along with his sisters-in-law; brothers-in-law; nieces, and nephew.

Joe affectionately known as "Francis" back home was a star basketball player in High School. Tubby Smith his basketball coach that inspired him and he admired gave him rides after practice. He loved baseball too and almost played in the Amateur Baseball League, however he already signed up to join the United States Army. When he enlisted, he enjoyed his first assignment as a Medic, especially nursing the children in Pediatric Ward in Colorado and Germany. He played basketball and was asked by his Company Commander to join the Army Basketball Team. However, he was preoccupied by the other matters in life. He took a year break and re-enlisted back as 19Delta a Scout for 17 years. He was stationed in Fort Carson, Stuttgart Germany, Fort Riley Kansas, Yongsan Korea, Fort Hood Texas, and Giessen Germany. He served in Iraq, Dessert Storm and an instructor in Fort Knox, Kentucky before he retired. Joe demonstrated the traits and attributes of a military leader that he carried in his civilian life.

Joe met Grace his wife, at the Killeen Airport on their first tour at Fort Hood, Texas. During this first tour at Fort Hood, he also met his buddy Sam Stewart and had fun during their gunnery practice and field exercises, eating hot chicken sent by his wife. They both found it odd that whenever they PCS that they came across each other in several tours. They kept in touched and were best friends. On his second tour back to Fort Hood Texas, he met Bobby Musgray, his friend -brother as we call it, with their great skills in land navigation they beat the other platoons on their missions. They both enjoyed bowling on their free time and when both retired, they went fishing and stayed close like two peas in a pod.

Joe received his first Associate Degree in Network System Administrator and second Associate Degree in Information Technology at Central Texas College. He further his studies and earned his Bachelor's Degree in Computer Information System at Texas A&M Central Texas, while working in Central Texas College. He did not stop there, but pursued Master's Degree in Information System at Texas A&M Central Texas. While working in Central Texas College Distance Learning, he climbed up to the position of Director in Instructional Technology before he retired last August 2023.

While working at Central Texas College Distance Learning, Joe loved to bowl at nights and weekends. He joined local leagues, travel leagues, went on tournaments out of state and enjoyed the travels while bowling. He loved making strikes, reading the lanes, making adjustments and maintained consistency, achieving the perfection with two 300 under his belt. These milestones weren't just scores; they were steppingstones to his PBA aspirations, dreams he planned to chase hand-in-hand with Grace his wife.

He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.