William Young

How does one measure a life well lived? Is it by your contributions to the world? Is it by the meaningful impact you leave on the lives that you touched? Is it by the love you give and receive? In the case of Bill Young’s life, you would say all the above, and more. Sadly, the life journey that William “Bill” Young shared with us, ended on September 23, 2025, peacefully surrounded by loved ones. He is survived by his wife Cindy, with whom most of his extraordinary journey was shared. Cindy as his loving and devoted wife, shared life’s ups and downs for more than 55 years. Together Bill and Cindy raised two remarkable, caring, and loving daughters. Wendy (Chris) Cronce and Amber (Jason) Elkins. His circle of love grew even further with the addition of his greatest source of pride - his six grandchildren: Megan Cronce, Boston Elkins, Matthew Cronce, Phoenix Elkins, Mason Cronce, London Elkins (aka “Sissy”). Many of Bill’s favorite moments involved watching these kids shine. Whether it be attending a theater performance, a band concert, a sporting event, or anything else they were involved in, he looked forward to supporting them and to letting them know just how proud he was of them. They all will greatly miss their “Papa” more than any of us will ever know.

Bill is also survived by his sister Marsha (Manny) Garza, sister-in-law Jill (Steve) Reifert, brothers-in-law Jim (Janet) Lofts, Jay Lofts, Rick Lofts, along with several nieces, nephews, extended family, and close friends. He also enjoyed his beloved cats Henry, Precious, Coal, and especially his buddy Bandit who you would often find curled up in his lap. But don’t tell the other cats in case they get jealous.

He was preceded in death by his parents William and Joan Young, his parents in-law John and Darlene Lofts, and his sister Linda Young.

Bill was born in Kalamazoo on May 30, 1950. He attended Richland schools for most of his early education but graduated from Parchment High School in 1968. After high school, Bill worked for Brown Company (which later became James River Corporation) where he honed his skills as a talented graphic artist. Leveraging the knowledge he gained, he then opened his own graphic arts studio in Parchment. During that time, he was instrumental in helping redesign the City of Kalamazoo Public Safety shield. He volunteered his time and talents to create promotional flyers for noteworthy causes, helping to preserve history and supporting his community. His design work included numerous food and dairy company packaging designs that you can still find on store shelves today.

Bill loved striking up conversations with strangers and would talk about literally anything with anyone. This outgoing character trait helped lend itself to later work as an independent sales representative. One of his favorite conversation topics, besides his family, would certainly be his Baby Blue ’59 Ford Fairlane 500. For several years, he loved to attend car shows either with or without “Big Blue” and share his passion with other classic car enthusiasts. If you were at the show, you would likely find him sporting one of his signature Hawaiian shirts while cranking out a Beach Boys tune.

Throughout his life, Bill took his family on many vacations to Mackinac, and at several locations all over west Michigan, often to capture a beautiful Lake Michigan sunset. For the last few summers, Bill and Cindy enjoyed spending their time in their camper trailer in Traverse City.

Bill Young made significant contributions to this world, throughout his career and especially for his family. He indeed touched so many lives in profoundly meaningful ways during the 75 years he shared with us. The love he gave will carry on with all who were fortunate enough to receive it. If one were to measure if Bill’s life was well lived, his success can be seen as you look into the eyes of his beloved wife, his girls, and especially his grandkids. That is the legacy that will remain.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, October 11, 2025, at 11:00am at the Adams-Parchment Redmond Funeral Home located at 2300 East G. Ave, Parchment with Dave Johnson officiating. Immediately following the service, family and friends are invited to attend a reception at a location to be announced at the service.

In Lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to:

Bronson Cancer Center-Kalamazoo Fund, 805 John Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49001 or

West Michigan Cancer Center, 200 N. Park Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007