Millard Lee Young

Millard Lee Young passed away at Johnston Willis Hospital on Tuesday September 21, 2021 from coronavirus. He was 84 years young, born in Roanoke, Virginia on June 15, 1937 to Anna Lee Harshbargar, and Earl Millard Young. A lifelong car and cycle mechanic, Millard applied his passion for engines at local institutions like Honda House, West Broad Honda, and Richmond Honda. In the late 60s, he inspected some of the very first of those iconic vehicles to enter the United States. An avid racing enthusiast, Millard was a Kenevil speeding around countless competitions on a dirt track which is now known as Richmond Raceway. Millard spent his spare time customizing numerous American autos, especially a Chevy pick up and Malibu wagon, the latter of which was featured twice in Chevy High Performance Magazine. Once the staff photographer for Richmond Dragway, Millard maintained a lifelong love of manual cameras, his favorite being the Canon AE-1 Program. If he was out in public, it was rare to see him without it’s Mickey Mouse strap around his shoulder, ready to capture the excitement of the day. While in the Air Force, Millard met vibraphonist Gary Keenan, who shared his love of jazz and became his constant friend. Not a week went by when they didn’t banter over the phone about the latest news or some nostalgic memory. Although divorced for slightly more years than he was married, Millard enjoyed a happy life as a husband to Brenda Young, now Brenda Hodge, with whom he remained close until the end. He is survived by their son, Forrest Neil Young, his daughter-in-law Holly Chasan-Young, as well as his cousin Linda Harshbarger, and Linda’s daughter, Madison. Millard did not want any funeral plans, as he wished to be cremated and for his ashes to be spread to the winds over the ocean, perhaps at Daytona beach near where Gary lived. However, there will be a small memorial service planned for family and loved ones to attend. Contact Forrest for more information.