10/08/2026
Funeral services for Jim Young, 86, of Knoxville, will be held Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at the Knoxville First United Methodist Church.
Interment will be at Graceland Cemetery.
A luncheon will be served at the church following the services for a time of continued fellowship.
Family will receive friends on Tuesday, October 13, from 4:00 until 6:00 p.m. at the Knoxville First United Methodist Church.
Memorials in Jim’s name may be made to the Knoxville Panther Scholarship Foundation or the Knoxville First United Methodist Church.
James Douglas Young was born July 17, 1940, in Los Angeles, California, to Charles and Pat (Dingess) Young, while his father was stationed in California.
The oldest of four boys, Jim was proud to call Chuck, John, and Joe his brothers. The boys grew up in Knoxville, Iowa, where Jim excelled in football and track, graduating from Knoxville High School in 1958.
It was during ninth grade, at a Rainbow Dance, that Sharon Nichols caught his eye. The two were practically inseparable from that point on.
Following high school, Jim attended Pueblo Junior College in Colorado, where he played football and studied architecture.
On August 13, 1961, they married in Knoxville, beginning 65 wonderful years together. The couple moved to Albuquerque, where Jim continued his education, and later to Ames, where he worked for the Iowa Department of Transportation, surveying for the construction of Lake Red Rock.
His career then took them to California for two years, but Jim couldn’t wait to get back to Iowa.
Returning to Knoxville, Jim and Sharon designed and built their yellow house on Competine Street, where they raised their family and made a lifetime of memories.
Jim worked for the State of Iowa 14 years. He later joined the Des Moines architectural firm Brooks, Borg & Skiles, where he worked on numerous notable projects, including 801 Grand. Known for his meticulous attention to detail, and even today, his work can be found on plans for buildings undergoing renovation.
Jim retired in 2001, but he never really stopped designing. He continued drawing plans for friends’ homes and lent his talents to his community, including plans for additions to the Knoxville Public Library and First United Methodist Church.
Jim had a deep faith and a strong sense of community. He and Sharon believed in giving their time wherever it was needed, whether flipping pancakes at Nationals, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, serving their church, or helping with countless other community projects.
At home, Jim was happiest keeping busy on their two-acre property, planting trees, tending to projects, and enjoying his lifelong fascination with trains.
A remarkably talented artist, Jim especially loved drawing steam locomotives. Though he rarely considered a drawing completely finished, his detailed artwork was featured in railroad publications and art shows celebrating railroad history.
He also loved traveling west of the Missouri River, where the mountains and beautiful scenery were certainly appealing, but Jim knew there would be trains to see along the way.
Methodical, grounded, and disciplined, Jim approached everything he did with care and purpose. He was a man of strong principles who never needed to raise his voice to make his point.
Those qualities made him an exceptional draftsman and artist, but more importantly, a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather. Family was always his greatest love. Jim and Sharon were their children’s and grandchildren’s biggest cheerleaders, traveling any distance to attend their activities and rarely missing an event.
Family vacations remained a treasured tradition, even as the children and grandchildren grew older.
Through it all, Jim and Sharon were truly partners in life. Rarely apart and often holding hands, they shared a remarkable 65 years of marriage, building a life centered on faith, family, and one another.
Jim passed away Thursday, October 8, 2026, surrounded by his family.
He will be deeply missed by his wife of 65 years, Sharon Young; children: Doug (Nancy) Young and Holly (Doug) Larkin; grandchildren: Tanner Young, Taylor (Skyler) Olson, and Emily (Adam) Luke; great-grandchildren: Kennedy, Logan, Ava, and Mason; brothers: Chuck (Stef) Young and John (Gail) Young; sisters-in-law: Lori and Nancy; and brother-in-law, JD (Ardis) Nichols; along with many nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Pat Young; grandson, Kinnick James Young; and brother, Joe Young.