Mary Young
Chattanooga native Mary Wilhoit Young died on September 8, 2014, following a short illness.
After graduating from local schools and the University of Tennessee, she took a job as a mathematician at the Tennessee Valley Authority. During the next 20 years she climbed the male-dominated hierarchy at TVA, eventually becoming an engineer assigned to tackle complex forecasts for economic growth throughout the Southeast.
Her sons, Jacob Young of San Francisco, and Jeff Young of Chattanooga, vividly recall nights and weekends when their mother pored over boxes of punch cards and thick stacks of computer paper as she debugged programs. Taking classes at lunch hour and evenings, she earned a master's degree in engineering management from the UT. Still, she made it to almost every school play, tee-ball game, and track meet.
In her 40s Mary discovered hiking, which became a passion until age slowed her stride. A longtime member of the Chattanooga Hiking Club, she led tramps through the woods and hills of the tri-state area for more than 20 years, often side-by-side with her second husband, Harold Wilkey. Hikes on the Appalachian Trail were among her favorites, and the photos in her home include dozens of shots taken on the AT, from Georgia to New York. There are also baskets filled with fossils, flints, and stones collected over many miles of walking.
In addition to her sons, survivors include grandchildren, Brandi and Jeffrey, great-grandchildren, Hunter and Riley, and Harold Wilkey’s children, Britt, Janice Rodriguez, and Hal.
Mary was preceded in death by her husbands, Troy Young and Harold Wilkey; her parents, John Lafayette and Mary Ruth Brown Wilhoit; a brother, Dr. John L. Wilhoit, and a sister, Margaret Sanner.
Graveside services will be on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 1 p.m. at Chattanooga Memorial Park, Red Bank.
The family will receive friends from 5-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 16, at the Chattanooga Funeral Home, East Chapel, 404 South Moore Road, Chattanooga.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Tennessee River Gorge Trust, 1214 Dartmouth Street, Chattanooga, Tn. 37405.
Please share your condolences at www.chattanoogaeastchapel.com.