Michael Ray Youngs

Michael Ray Youngs, age 77, passed away peacefully at home on November 25, 2021, after a courageous twenty-two-year battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Michael was born on February 14, 1944, in Modesto, California to Leonard Spencer Youngs and Darline Mae Atkinson. His mother named him Michael because she loved Mickey Mouse and always wanted to call him Mickey, but his father never let the nickname stick. As a child he moved several times, living in Los Angeles, California; Kansas City, Missouri; and Silverton, Texas. His family eventually settled in the Sacramento area of California where his father established a private medical practice. He grew up with his siblings Philip, Elaine, and Shirley whom he was much older than and sometimes joked about being the built-in-babysitter. Michael attended a private Seventh- Day Adventist school called Sacramento Jr. Academy later named Sacramento Union Academy. In 1962, he graduated from La Sierra High School in Sacramento at the age of 16.

After High School, Michael dreamed of becoming a mechanic much to the dismay of his father. His first jobs included running a gas station, being a mechanic’s helper, and working as a mechanic to restore hot rods. While he moved on from his work as a mechanic, he always loved working on cars and kept it as a lifelong hobby and interest.  He attended American River College where he received an Associate of Arts degree in 1968 and completed two years at the McGeorge School of Law before deciding to pursue a different career path.

He was a jack of all trades and had many diverse talents and skills. He ran a houseboat company, ran an auto auction, and was a professional ski instructor. Eventually, he settled into a 26-year career with phone companies including Pacific Bell, Mountain Bell, US West and Qwest Communications. He started as a phone operator and retired as a Senior Technical Systems Engineer, with his main job of supporting the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  After retiring from Qwest Communications, he then worked for WesTech Engineering for eight years and ultimately retired in 2012.

In 1966, he married Anne Barry Haskell (Ekstrom) and had his first two sons, Mark and Stephen. He and Anne divorced in 1972.  Michael married Valerie Ann Patten in 1974. It was then that he made the life changing decision to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints. He and Valerie later divorced, and Michael moved to Utah where he would spend the rest of his life. He reunited with Pamela Kay Haney, his lifelong sweetheart, who had introduced him to the Church of Jesus Christ when they had previously dated. Mike and Pam married in the Salt Lake Temple on April 7, 1978 and became eternal companions. They raised their five children: Matthew, Bethany, Rebekah, Rachel, and Kayla in Bountiful, Utah and stuck together through thick and thin for 43 wonderful years.

Michael was always an example of generosity and service. He served in many Church positions including Elder’s Quorum President, Young Men’s Counselor, Sunday School teacher, Choir Director, High Priest Group Leadership, Stake Communications Specialist, Temple Worker, and was a faithful Home Teacher for many years. His most notable service within the Church was his many years as a Scout leader. He served as a Scoutmaster, Varsity Coach, and Troop Committee Chair. He began his service in Scouting in 1984 and enjoyed giving the youth an opportunity to learn and grow through their many Scouting experiences. He was known to take Scouts on winter camps to earn their year-round camping awards, was instrumental in helping boys earn their Eagle Scout awards and was never afraid of the challenge of making Scouting a rewarding program for the youth with whom he worked. While being a unit leader, Mike also volunteered for the Boy Scouts of America in the Great Salt Lake Council, both at the district level in the Stonecreek District and at the council level. His many Scouting accomplishments included Roundtable Staff, both District and Council, Assistant Council Commissioner, District Training Chair, Council Training Chair, and a National Jamboree Scout Master in 1993 and 1997. Mike believed every Scout deserved a well-trained leader and became involved in Wood

Badge Training, an adult leadership training program. He received his own Wood Badge beads in 1986, as a Bear, and spent the next ten years serving on Wood Badge staffs until becoming a Wood Badge Course Director in 1996. His Scouting awards include: Scouter’s Key, On My Honor, Training Award, Order of the Arrow, District Award of Merit, College of Commissioner Service, Distinguished Commissioner, James West, and the prestigious Silver Beaver Award. He was always supportive of his wife Pam in all of her many years of Scouting service. Through Scouting, he touched hundreds of lives whether it was with the youth or training Scouting leadership.

Mike had a wide array of hobbies and interests. He followed in his Father’s footsteps, becoming a HAM Radio operator, ultimately receiving his Extra Class license, his call sign being KK7VZ. As a HAM Radio operator, he volunteered countless hours in community events, parades, emergency services, Scouting for Food and most notably volunteered for the 2002 Winter Olympics, where he worked for the UOPSC (Utah Public Safety Command), which took care of all the security and communications for the Olympics. He was in charge of video switching in the Command Center and video surveillance on the mountain tops. He was the coordination volunteer examiner for the Davis County Amateur Radio Volunteer Examiner Team. He helped pioneer the use of computers in performing examinations in Utah. He attended his last exam session in September at the Clearfield City offices. He enjoyed his memberships in the American Radio Relay League, The Utah Amateur Radio Club, and the Davis County Amateur Radio Club and made many lifelong friendships. He loved serving in his community and served as President of the Bountiful chapter of the Kiwanis club for two years. As part of his Church service to youth, Mike and his wife Pam served as Co-Chairs of the Bountiful South Stake Pioneer Trek in 1997.

Mike had a love of music and almost always sang in his Ward choirs. When he was in school, he sang in Madrigals and was part of a trio called The Voyagers. He was a talented guitarist and singer, and especially loved to perform with his daughter, Rachel, accompanying her with his bass guitar. He loved a good Sci-Fi novel or movie. His kids remember staying up late watching reruns of Star Trek with him. He was a hard worker and was often found tinkering around outside fixing a car or setting up a radio antenna. He loved camping and taught a love of the outdoors to his children. He was a quiet person and was always dependable, the kind of person that was always there when you needed him. He was an extremely capable person and seemed like he could fix anything. He loved an icey Diet Coke and turned the other way when his kids would steal sips from his mug. He was loved by his many grandchildren and was tenderly known as “Grandpa Mike.” He gave great bear hugs and tickling kisses with his iconic moustache. He had a strong testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and faithfully attended the temple as long as he could. He was a great husband, father, grandfather, and neighbor and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Leonard Spencer Youngs and Darline Mae Atkinson and granddaughter, Stella Rose Cutler. He is survived by his wife, Pamela Kay Youngs, his siblings, Philip Youngs, Shirley Youngs, Elaine Youngs, Karen Cooper-Johnston (Scott), and Robin Youngs; and children, Mark Edward Ekstrom (Cami), Stephen Spencer Ekstrom (Delia), Matthew Ray Youngs (Debi), Bethany Kay Cutler (John), Rebekah Marin Miller (Sean), Rachel Ann McRae (Daniel), Kayla Ruth Prusse (Samuel), Derrick Rose, Shawn Waite, and 24 grandchildren.

A viewing will be held at Russon Mortuary and Crematory, 295 North Main, Bountiful, UT from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 5, 2021.  Funeral services will be held on Monday, December 6, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. at the Centerville 19th Ward Chapel, 900 South 400 East, with a viewing from 9:45-10:45 a.m. Interment at Memorial Lakeview Cemetery, 1640 East Lakeview Drive. Bountiful, UT.

His family would like to thank all the many healthcare professionals who helped with his medical care over the last twenty years and especially in the last few weeks of Michael’s life. Until We Meet Again.

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