Royce O. Young

Royce O. Young died peacefully at Victoria Nursing Home on June 29, 2017 at the age of 97. Royce is survived by his wife Arabella; his daughter Lisa and her husband Vincent; his son Robin; his grandchildren Christopher, Wyatt and Wade.

Royce was born in the West Indies into a family of hard working overseas Chinese. Initially, Royce joined the family business as a teenager. Because of his passion for knowledge and being highly inquisitive Royce was from a young age a self-taught learner. Royce was the first of his family to immigrate to America in the 1940’s to pursue an education in the “land of opportunity.” He graduated from Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute with a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering in the early 1950’s.

During his studies in NYC he was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II where he was promoted to Sergeant in the first year and awarded several medals including Expert Rifleman.  Upon his return to the United States he secured a position at Columbia University’s Physics Labs where eventually became director of the Electronics Lab there and later director of Columbia’s Hudson River Laboratories. Later in his career he pursued his final position as a Professor of Mathematics and Physics at Ramapo College of NJ doing what he loved most, teach.

He married Arabella Hong, an award winning opera singer, and eventually settled in Rockland County, New York.

Royce was a dedicated husband and father who always put his family first. He was extremely generous and kind to both friends and family, willing to instantly drop what he was doing to help someone in need. Royce was known for his insatiable curiosity and wanting to know how things work. Royce often taught others from his deep knowledge on whatever he had learned and discovered which ranged from math to the mysteries of the universe.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Royce Young Memorial Fund page on the Alzheimer’s Association website: http://act.alz.org/goto/Royce

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