Richard James Young

Richard J. Young

Long-term resident of Tesuque, NM and former employee of Los Alamos National Laboratory passed away March 5th, 2021. Richard is survived by his wife of fifty-two years, Bonnie.

Richard received a MSEE Degree (emphasis on plasma physics waves) from Cornell University in 1966.

His 1963 Engineering class had the honor of building a poured concrete pyramidal monument of the Engineering Honor Society SIGMA TAU in the courtyard between the halls.

While attending UNM he helped fashion the IREE Student Lounge and Book Library. He studied independently “sorting out big and small questions with my best friend Arthur Tanaka” for three years.  They drove back and forth daily along Central Avenue (US66) – his school home was at Zuni and Wyoming (which he described as sometimes snowy and slippery).  Interstate 40 had not been started yet, so the trip to school usually took 30-40 minutes.

He visited the newly started WINROCK Center Mall – with the SIGMA TAU fraternity in the Courtyard.

Richard participated as the electrical engineering assistant to Donald Thoring on the basic talk program for George Fishbeck’s  PBS science program for youngsters ~ c.1962. (Using a couple of EE Text books by UNM Professor R. K. Moore; D. Thorne.)

He participated on the Rotating Machinery Basement Motor and generator display at the public student lab open houses – and demonstrated a “BOUNCING BALL” (health analog computer wire-programmed giant Tesla-Coil that was arcing).

He took a senior class on Nuclear Reactor Theory Sub-critical reactor plus analog power simulator.

Married Bonnie Lou Royer on April 4th 1969.

            How it started - in Bonnie’s own words “January 2, while ice skating on the Los Alamos skating rink I mentioned to my good friend that is Richard Young.  We skated up to him one on each side and asked are you Richard Young and he said yes.  Richard skated over to us to ask how we knew him.  I said you dated my sister.  He figured it out who Mary was and called me to go to see the stage play “Man of La Mancha”.  We started dating, when he proposed with wedding bells ringing I had to give up many of my benefits: washing dishes at the Masonic Lodge, working at the YMCA, extra hours at Farmers Insurance and doing some typing for the new formed Los Alamos National Bank.”

Richard was employed at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (National Laboratory) from 1968 – 1998 in Weapon Physics Design Division. He approached every activity with a characteristic fascination and passion. To have Richard explain something was to be propelled deeply into the subject in a short period of time. Richard led by example and was easily one of the best mentors in the Division. During the latter part of his time at the Lab, Richard was recognized as one of the top experts in the Nuclear Emergency Search Team (NEST).

In 1983 the Albuquerque Journal interviewed Richard and featured him in an article that included  several projects from his work.

In his spare time Richard enjoyed his friendship with Sandia Program Graduate Richard Lindberg (and wife Carolyn).

In 1976 he built a 35 Foot steel-hulled sailboat (Endurance 35) christened “BONNIE RICHARD”.  Her maiden launch in October 1992 was on the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Columbus Day at Shelter Island, San Diego, CA.

“BONNIE RICHARD” is located at Loch Lomond Marina in San Rafael, California on  San Francisco Bay.  Richard participated along with the Loch Lomond Yacht Club on an annual cruise to Monterey.  He also enjoyed sailing alone to Monterey CA. 

As an avid reader, Richard read New Mexico and Santa Fe history and old classics intermixed with current affairs and modern works.

Richard and Bonnie traveled from the West Coast to the East Coast visiting family – while stopping along the way to gather history and, of course, photograph it (after all – Richard grew up with a camera in his hand… and “always wanted to see nothing”). 

Richard and Bonnie enjoyed gardening and landscaping the Tesuque home and, as Richard said “at night we would watch the beautiful sunset” …

A Memorial Service will be held on March 10, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at the Rivera Kiva Chapel of Light. Rev Talitha Arnold officiate minister. Interment will be at Rosario Cemetery.