Herbert A. Young

Herbert Arthur Young of Cutchogue passed away peacefully at home on Monday, January 19th He was 96 years old. Herb was a petroleum geologist, known for his warm sense of humor, love of the St. Louis Cardinals, and passion for exploring the world.

Herb was born on March 5,1929 in Great Neck, NY to Frederick W. Young and Julia (Handschin) Young. He grew up in Great Neck, graduating from Great Neck High School in 1947. He attended the University of Idaho on an NROTC scholarship. He graduated in 1951with a BA in Geology and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Marine Corp, serving in the Korean War.

Following his service, Herb began his career in oil exploration around the world. His first stop was Peru, a job with Texpet, where he had an unforgettable adventure surveying the upper Amazon Basin. In 1955, he met the love of his life, Susan Ffoulkes-Jones in an Oil field camp in Roblecito, Venezuela. Susan and Herb were married in Caracas, Venezuela in September 1957 and over the next 6 years welcomed three children. They left Venezuela in 1964, when Herb joined Sun Oil Company. After stints in Corpus Christi and Philadelphia, in 1972 Herb was transferred to Singapore where he spent seven years, first with Sun Oil and later with Union Texas Petroleum. For years Herb believed there was oil in the lower Sindh province of Pakistan, and in the late 1970’s he convinced Union Texas to give it a shot. He established a new office in Karachi and oversaw the drilling of the wells, successfully finding oil in the early 1980s. In recognition of his efforts, Pakistan’s President Zia awarded him the “Star of Pakistan”, the country’s highest civilian award. He continued to spend his career looking for oil and managed the Union Texas offices in Jakarta, Indonesia and London, England.

Upon his retirement in 1992, Herb and Susan built their dream home on Peconic Bay in Cutchogue where Herb’s family had spent summers since the 1920’s. Herb and Susan continued to travel in retirement, regularly visiting Arizona, Barbados and the UK, and enjoyed spending time with their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

He is survived by his children Roger (Linda), Brian (Carol), and Kathryn (Jeff), grandchildren Bradley (Olivia), Steven (Ally), Caroline, and Matt (Makena), and great grandchildren Owen, Elizabeth, Madelyn, Warren, and Colin.

DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck is serving the family.

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