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YOUNG, WILLIAM HOMER JR. Age 85, passed to his eternal home on December 22, 2013 at the Anna Kaseman Hospice Center in Albuquerque, NM. Homer was the fifth of six sons born to William Homer and Beulah Jane Horn Young. He was born in Phoenix, Arizona on June 16th, 1928. In the early 1930's, he moved with his family to New Mexico where he grew up on the family farm in the Sunshine district south of Deming, NM. He married his high school sweetheart, JoAnn Munson, at the First Christian Church in Deming on July 16th, 1948. Four children were born to this union; James Munson, Ida Belle, Susan Gale and Patricia Jane. They continued in the family farming business in Wilcox, Arizona until 1950 when he went to work for the Phelps Dodge Copper Corp. in Morenci, Arizona. In 1959, the family moved to Toquepala, Peru S.A., where Homer was mill repair foreman for the Southern Peru Copper Corporation. They resided in Peru until 1967 when they returned to the States to manage a farm for his mother in Eastland, Texas. When the farm sold, they were able to return to New Mexico in 1969 and the newly opened Phelps Dodge copper mine at Tyrone, NM. He retired in 1992 and became an avid golfer and world traveler, but dancing to the Forrest Delk Band was his favorite pastime, and his three girls will always recall learning to dance while standing on their daddy's boot toes! He was raised a Master Mason in Coronado Lodge #8, Clifton, Arizona in 1954. He and JoAnn joined Clifton's Century Chapter #10 OES in 1955 where he was Past Patron and Past Rainbow Dad for the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls. He was a charter member and Past Master of Toquepala Lodge #60 AF&AM in Toquepala, Peru. When they returned to New Mexico, he affiliated with Georgetown Chapter #4 OES and Mimbres Lodge #10 AF&AM in Mimbres, NM where he was Past Patron and Past Master. He served New Mexico Grand Chapter as Worthy Grand Patron with sister Adele Durnell in 1978-79. He was named Ambassador to Peru 2000-2003, Jurisprudence Committee 1989-1991 and Ambassador to Mexico 2011-2013 for General Grand Chapter OES. He was Past Grand Chaplain and Past District Deputy Grand Master for the Grand Lodge of New Mexico AF&AM. In 2004, New Mexico Grand Lodge named him "Mason of the Year" and accorded him the prestigious Kit Carson Award. He was raised a 33rd degree Scottish Rite Mason in 2005. He served on the advisory board for the Silver City Order of Demolay, was a past Rainbow Dad for the Tyrone Assembly #54 and was Rainbow Dad for the newly instituted Copper Rose Rainbow Assembly #62 in Silver City. He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, Jim, Oral and Buford, and his only son, James. He is survived by his wife, JoAnn, his three daughters and their families; Ida Belle and John Walsh, Susan and Don Wallin, Patricia Young and dear friend, Linda Miller, five grandchildren and their families; Jennifer Mary (Walsh) and husband, David Hare, Elizabeth Ann (Walsh) and husband, David Gilroy, William Trevor and wife, Amber Wallin, Steven Shane and wife, Jenae Wallin, Lisa Jean (Wallin) and husband Curtis Lents; five great-grandchildren Maya Sophia and Dylan James Hare, Jonah Finn and Nina Magdalena Gilroy and William Augustus Wallin; two brothers, J.W. Marvin and Wilma Young; two very dear sisters-in-law, Catherine Munson Smith, Sabra Munson Humphrey and husband, Robert; numerous nieces, nephews, and a very special nephew, Roy Young and wife, Mildred; many cousins and a host of loving world-wide friends. He felt very privileged and blessed to have had the opportunity to play golf af the "Old Course" in Scotland and to have walked the Mt. of Olives in Jerusalem, but, most of all, to have shared 65 years of love with his wife and children, to have developed very special ties with each of his five grandchildren and to have held the small hands of each of his five great-grandchildren. He will be remembered for his pride in and love for his family, his kind and generous ways, his love and appreciation for our beautiful earth and his favorite figure of speech, "Oh, how nice!" He was a good husband, a good father, a good grandfather and great-grandfather, a good friend to all........ He was a good man. Memorial services are being handled by Baca's Funeral Chapels, Deming, NM, and services are set for Saturday, January, 25, 2014, at 11:00 am at the Mimbres Valley Special Events Center in Deming, NM. Memorial donations may be made to: Rite Care Childhood Language Program in care of the NM Scottish Rite Foundation, PO Box 2024, Santa Fe, NM 87504-2024 or to a charity of your choice.
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