Donald Roy Young

We never wanted this day to come. I can hear the call of a lone goose gliding over San Domingo Creek as if saying goodbye to a man who had admired the beautiful birds from afar for most of his 90 years. This sound is synonymous with the Eastern Shore of Maryland - a place Don Young truly loved. Though an eastern shore man through and through, Don was born in Belfast, Pennsylvania in 1935. In 1940, on the brink of WWII, the family moved to Elkton, MD where Don’s father worked in a hosiery mill and served time in the Navy, before opening Hershey’s Store with his wife, Gladys. Don, his brother Duane and sister Sharon all chipped in to run the family business which became well known for the best subs this side of heaven. Don graduated from Elkton High in 1953 where he still holds many records as halfback for the football team. He even played the trombone in the school band! From there he entered the School of Pharmacy at the University of Maryland graduating in 1957. He met the love of his life, Joyce Waldridge, on a blind date in 1956 and upon his graduation they were wed in Newark, Delaware. Joyce was his soulmate, business partner, and loving mother to their three children, Donald, Lynda, and David. In April 1964, Don moved the family to St. Michaels, Maryland purchasing Hudson’s Pharmacy. This too was a family business with his three children and parents, Gladys and Roy Young, joining the crew. In the small town of St. Michaels, Don was known to so many as “Doc Young”, and he responded to that title with compassion and pride. With Joyce he created a business that was THE gathering place in town. The Cove restaurant was popular with locals and visitors alike, many returning year after year from far and wide. Don and Joyce were well liked and they worked hard to earn and retain the trust and respect of their customers. In addition to being a pharmacist, banker and business owner, Don was a pillar in the community alongside his wife, Joyce. As a team it was important to them that they give back to the town they loved. Don was very active in Rotary and in his Masonic Lodge, Granite Lodge #177. He played a significant role in the careful growth of the town by serving as President of the St. Michaels Improvement Association beginning in 1966 and was appointed to the Board of Directors at St. Michaels Bank in 1964, and for a time, served as its Vice President. He was the youngest director ever to be elected. Among many titles he was the Treasurer of Calvert Drug Company in Baltimore and President of the National Retail Druggist’s, eastern shore branch. Outside of the business Don enjoyed many hobbies. He loved the links and showed off making not one, but two, holes-in-one in the same week on Kauai’s Grand Hyatt Grand Slam Course! He also enjoyed hunting and fishing with his sons and sharing his love for sports with all of his children and grandchildren. Season tickets for the Baltimore Colts created wonderful memories and visits to the Charm City broadened horizons for everyone. Don also enjoyed travel and he and Joyce traveled the world together, forming a special bond with the Garden Island of Kauai where they split their time between Maryland and Hawaii while making many new friends along the way. Despite the allure of far-away places, their travels always brought them home to “Chez Jeune”, their sanctuary on San Domingo Creek, also enjoyed by lifelong friends and neighbors Jack and Faye Shannahan, whom they loved very much. They were fortunate to have had many strong friendships in their sphere of life including a special friend, Carol Armstrong. Donald Roy Young passed away on April 20 due to complications from a stroke. As Doc Young he helped heal many people over the years, and though a valiant fight was waged, we were unable to heal him. To his family he was known as Honey, Babe, Dad, Pappa Bear, Pap, and Pappy. God has now welcomed him in his many forms to His kingdom where he will reunite with his soulmate, Joyce, and other loved ones who have passed and where he can continue to watch over those left behind. Don is survived by his children Donald and his wife Mary of Easton, Lynda and her husband Craig Randock of Phoenix, AZ, David and his wife Karen of Tunis Mills and grandchildren Shane Young, Alexis and Nicole Randock, Corey Kaufman, and Wesley, Anna and Emma Schumann as well as great grandchildren Everly, Roman, Andrew (ADD) and Sister-in-law Kathleen Young and nephews Michael and Robroy and nieces Dawn, Tammi and Gina and many other dear family and friends. Donald was preceded in death by his wife Joyce, his parents Gladys and Roy, his brother Duane, sister Sharon, sister-in-law Joyce, and brother-in-law Lawrence W. Waldridge, sister-in-law Jayne Waldridge, niece Nicole Miller and cherished family pets Buttons, Pierre, Baron, Amber, and Tabby. In Don’s memory donations can be made to The St. Michaels Volunteer Fire Department, Talbot Humane Society or Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. The family will receive guests and friends at Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam, Easton, MD on Monday, April 27, 2026, from 11am until 12 noon. A service at the funeral home will begin at noon. Interment at Oxford Cemetery will follow. Don is now soaring on the wings of his feathered friends. Look to the skies above San Domingo Creek and you may see his spirit there, along with that of Joyce. That was their home. Fly pappa, fly …….

Donald Roy Young

October 7, 1935 - April 20, 2026