Lee Ellen Young

Lee Ellen Young of Southold died suddenly on Nov. 7, 2011, at George Washington University Hospital while vacationing with her husband, Fred, in Washington, D.C.

She was born in Fresno, Calif., on Sept. 19, 1944, to W. Clyde and E. Margaret (McClarren) Fox. They moved to Oklahoma, where Lee lived for much of her early childhood until her father’s job on Plum Island brought them to Eastern Long Island.

After living on Plum Island for a short time, during which Lee attended Oysterponds School, the family moved to Greenport. Lee graduated from Greenport High School in 1962 and then attended SUNY/Cortland, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in education. In 1967 she married Donald R. Chattaway and began a family.
Lee started her teaching career in the Sachem School District and went on to teach for over 30 years at Oysterponds Union Free School District in Orient, N.Y., where she retired in 2000.

Later in life, Lee married a lifelong family friend, Fred W. Young, also formerly of Greenport. Their mothers, Margaret Fox and Ellen Young, had been the best of friends as well as colleagues in the Greenport schools when Lee and Fred were children. Their two families became one when Lee and Fred married in August 1994.

Married for 17 very happy years, Lee and Fred spent the last 11 years enjoying retirement together and living each day to the fullest. They were world travelers, with recent adventures that included cruising around South America, walking with penguins in Antarctica, a Baltic cruise, zip-lining in Hawaii and exploring Alaska.

Lee was known for cooking a hearty meal and baking wonderful desserts. It was not uncommon to find a home-baked pie on her countertop. She also enjoyed showing off the home projects she and Fred had completed and she worked tirelessly to landscape their yard to be the perfect retreat.

One of her favorite pastimes was being Grandma to her seven grandchildren. Lee gave so much of herself and continued to teach them life lessons through storytelling, baking, gardening, kayaking, beach trips and much more.

In addition to her best friend and husband, Fred, she is survived by a daughter, Susan Russell, and husband, Eric, of Peconic; a son, John Chattaway, and wife, Andrea, of Aquebogue; a stepson, Bill Young of Kennett Square, Pa.; and seven grandchildren: Steven (9), Katie (7), Colin (3), Tyler (4 weeks) Wesley (10), Keenan (8) and Ronnin (1).

Visiting hours were held Nov. 11 at DeFriest Grattan Funeral Home in Southold. A funeral service was held Nov. 12 at Greenport United Methodist Church, followed by interment at Southold Presbyterian Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to the Lee Ellen Young Scholarship Fund, c/o Fred W. Young, 200 Corey Creek Lane, Southold, NY 11971.