Marian Tiller Young

Marian Newton Tiller Young was born on November 20, 1926, and passed away on May 19, 2016, at the home of her daughter in Gainesville, Florida. She was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, the oldest daughter of Lucy Newton Tiller and Charles Eric Tiller. During the Depression, the family moved to Brunswick, Georgia, where her father was employed first by Downing Co. and then Sea Island Company. Marian graduated from Glynn Academy in Brunswick, Georgia, in 1944. During World War II Marian worked at the US Naval Radar Training School in Brunswick, before heading to Duke University. At Duke she met the love of her life, returning veteran, Linville Franklin Young. They were married August 29, 1947, at the Brunswick house on Union Street. After the birth of their daughter, Mary Ellen, and college graduation, they moved to Salisbury, North Carolina, where Marian was employed as a social worker for Rowan County and Frank launched his newspaper career with the Salisbury Post. At the age of 28 Marian was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She never let her disability define her, nor set limits on what she wanted to accomplish. She and Frank moved to Atlantic Beach, Florida, where they filled their small beach cottage with love and, eventually, their second child, Linville. Frank was employed by the Florida Times Union in Jacksonville, first as a reporter and then as an editor and ombudsman. They were active members of the Community Presbyterian Church and always involved with their newspaper "family," the schools in their community, and their beloved pets. The ocean was their joy and inspiration, so living the beach life style within walking distance of the Atlantic was very precious to them. In Atlantic Beach, Marian became the matriarch of the family, nurturing her nieces and nephews. She was a standout Girl Scout leader, den mother, and briefly, library assistant at Atlantic Beach School. She and Frank traveled extensively in the United States and made several trips to Europe. On their 50th wedding anniversary, their children gave Marian and Frank a memorable party in their Atlantic Beach home, and their son Linville took them to London and Paris to retrace the steps Frank took during the war. As their health begin to fail, Mary Ellen and her husband, James Lee, invited Marian and Frank to live with them in Gainesville, Florida, where Mary Ellen is on faculty at the University of Florida. Frank passed away on November 28, 2009, dying in his wife's arms. Marian's body failed her, but her life spirit was always strong. After a bout with pneumonia, she was referred to hospice and received home hospice care for almost 5 years. She is a legend in hospice lore for her love of life, strong spirit, love of her family and will to live. Marian's spirit lives on with the love of God and Jesus Christ. She was an inspiration to all who knew and loved her. She was predeceased by her father, mother, husband, and sisters, Margery and Carroll. She is survived by her daughter, Mary Ellen Young (James Lee), her son Linville Franklin Young, Jr., her brother Charles Eric Tiller Jr. (Sonja), her nieces Ellen Eldredge Stenstrom (Eric) and Kimberly Young Bohlman (Dave), her nephews Cabell Young (Kathy), Carl Rupert Richter (Elizabeth Bertollozi), Charles Eric Tiller III (Deborah), and William Duckworth Tiller (Deborah), her great niece Elizabeth Tiller Hagler (Chris), and great nephews, Charles Eric Tiller IV, Ryan Davis Tiller, and Blake Alexander Bohlman. Marian was interred with Frank's ashes on Monday, May 23, 2016, at Brunswick Memorial Park. A celebration of their life in Atlantic Beach will be planned for a later date. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to the North Florida Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (904-332-6889) or a pet rescue organization of your choice.

Marian Tiller Young

May 27, 2016