Wallace Young Sr. (Wally) of Harlem, NY passed away on September 6, 2021 in Ormond Beach, Florida due to the COVID-19 pandemic . To express your love for him and in honor of his life, please wear a mask and encourage others to do the same.

Wallace Young Sr. (Wally) was born on February 10, 1935 in Harlem Hospital in the City of New York to the late Rosa Mae Young. He went to Resurrection and PS 90 elementary schools and was among the first students to integrate DeWitt Clinton High School. He attended NY Institute of Technology where he made the dean lists while earning 160 credits in his pursuit of greater knowledge in the areas of Criminal Justice and history.

His Godfather, Alfred Aloysius (Pops) Gibson, took him to Long Island on the weekends and there he met the love of his life, the late Florence Dolores Young. They married on September 13, 1957 and were early settlers of the Gordon Heights, NY community where they raised their six children together for 39 years.

At the age of 21, he was registered as an amateur boxer with the Metropolitan Association of the A.A.U representing the Kennedy Center Boxing Club. He was inducted into the Golden Gloves Hall of Fame in New York.  He was scheduled to go into the Olympic trials for boxing when he was tapped by Uncle Sam and drafted into the US Army.  He joined the boxing team in the Army and was a champ in his class. He held 47 fights and only lost 4 in America. He held the rank of Specialist 5 ^th Class with a top-secret clearance and was assigned to Army Intelligence Headquarters in Kaiserslautern, Germany. After 2 years of active service in the United States Army, and four years in the reserves, he was honorably discharged on May 31, 1963.

On Dec. 17, 1963, he joined the Suffolk County Police Department where he was sworn in as a Patrolman riding car #606. In just 4 years, he made detective and was assigned to the Fugitive Squad at Headquarters. Prior to joining the police department, he recalls his best training for the job came from being a psychiatric staff aid & supervisor at Pilgrim State Hospital. With countless arrests and meritorious citations and commendations, he retired after 21 years of faithful service.  He was a member of the PBA, Suffolk County Detectives Association and the Guardians.

Wallace was a pillar in the Gordon Heights, NY community. He loved protecting and serving and did this with his family and community with extreme devotion. He believed in community policing and second chances and was a sound mentor to many.  Believing that change was best made from within, he was instrumental in creating the community service aid program as well as participated in career days at the high school to encourage students and community members to join the police department and make a difference.  He was a member of the Gordon Heights Fire Department and served as President of the Gordon Heights Federal Credit Union for 11 years. He coached the Gordon Heights Junior Sportettes young women's softball team.  He used his influence to bring the needs of the community to the attention of local politicians e.g., public water system for the community. He was also an entrepreneur, Co-owner of Port Jefferson Movers and served as President of an investment group.

He was baptized on April 18, 1971 and accepted the Sacrament of Confirmation on November 19, 1978 at St. Cuthbert's Episcopal Church in Selden, NY.  He was also a member of the church choir.

After retirement he didn't let grass grow under his feet. Wallace worked security and left his mark in various places and on many people around Long Island, Queens, Buffalo, NY and Florida. But oh, how he loved his horse racing. He won a greyhound dog and owned horses that he helped train and race. His prize horses were Lindys Crown and Bon Bon Bayern who placed first on October 19, 1987 at Yonkers Raceway.

Wallace was a passionate New York Mets and boxing fan. He loved to swim and go out on his boat to fish or crab on the Long Island Sound. He was an avid bowler on several teams to include 'Wally's Angels' in New York and Florida. He also loved to dance and would captivate the dance floor and tout "You got the beat" to everyone around him.

He was an extraordinary card player, joke and story teller, who also enjoyed passing the time at Internet Cafes which he called, "The Office".   He loved watching the Mets, Westerns, Unsolved Mysteries, Game Shows, and his favorite singers were Johnny Mathis, The Rat Pack, and Barbara Streisand.

He brought joy and laughter to everyone he met. Staying true to his New York upbringing & love of Frank Sinatra, he truthfully resonated the lyrics of his favorite song, "I Did It My Way!"

He is survived by his six children: Nadine Witherspoon (Ben), Cheryl Walker (Eddie preceded in death), Cynthia Manning (Darryl), Wallace Young Jr., Tanya Dozier (Richard), and Heather Berry (James), his wife of 39 years Florence Young, preceded him in death), his sister Anna Margaret Gibson, Brother Charles Gooden (Tony), (his other sister Edith Fickling-Williams ((Al) preceded him in death); his sister in love, Yvonne Rivers, his other sister in love Bernalcy Wilson, and brothers in love Edmund and Victor Pinto and Charles and Clifton Hylton preceded him in death; 12 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren, and a village of nieces, nephews, cousins, & many close friends.

A service of remembrance will be held and announced in the future.

Arrangements are under the care of Lohman Funeral Home Ormond Beach. Condolences for the family can be shared at www.lohmanfuneralhomes.com and expressions of sympathy can be sent to the Family of Wallace Young Sr. at 170A Northshore drive Ormond Beach, Florida 32176.