The Unforgettable Butch Young
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Today is the 81st birthday of my late grandfather, William Henry "Butch" Young Jr. My grandfather died 10 years before I was born but he still had a massive impact on me in my journey as an artist, historian, and community member.
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| Butch as a child in South Philly, ca. early 1950s |
My grandfather was born in the twilight of World War II and he was initially raised in South Philly at 502 Cantrell Street, the house my great grandfather and his grandmother Louise Moore-Jackson, resided at since migrating to Philadelphia from Allendale, South Carolina in the mid-1920s. He was the second youngest of four children and the only boy, his two older sisters being Edith ("Snoota", 1941-1979) and Phyllis ("Chubby", 1942-2022) and his younger sister Sherry (1952-1984). As a youth he was known for his love of animals, and was described as taking in stray cats ans dogs frequently.
Butch and his family moved over to North Philly in the 1950s to the infamous Richard Allen Homes public housing projects, where his legacy would impact the community for years after his death. He attended Benjamin Franklin High School, then an all boys school. It was in his youth living in Richard Allen where he would meet my grandmother, Victoria.
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| Butch with a group of friends at the corner of Poplar Street |
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| Butch and his friends at Richard Allen Homes |
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| My grandparents in their early 20s, ca. early to mid 1960s |
They would get married in August 1965, and my father was born not long after. Unfortunately my grandfather's alcoholism would affect his day to day life too much for my grandmother's liking and capacity and they divorced. Though they were only together for 3 years, their love for each other never seemed to truly have died. My grandmother never spoke ill of my grandfather. Butch held on to many of the pictures of him and my grandmother from their youth, including her baby picture. They seemed to always cherish their bond for the rest of their lives.
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| My grandparents' wedding, August 1965 |
My grandfather remarried a few years later and had two more children, the last being my aunt Casey (1975-2017). He worked as a custodian for many years for the School District of Philadelphia.
Unfortunately, my grandfather struggled with alcoholism throughout his life time. He eventually attempted to quit but his body was too dependent on alcohol for him to survive and he died on June 1, 1991, just about two weeks shy of his 47th birthday.
Butch's upbringing in Richard Allen Homes ingratiated him as a well known and well loved community member. When he died, my father described it as resembling when the president died as so many ppl attended that people spilled over into the street from the funeral home. When I was able to look through his funeral book, there were several full pages of signatures. Everyone I've encountered who knew my grandfather in life described him as such a loving, stylish and vibrant person. I'm sure he had his flaws and faults but the love he shared permeated beyond this life. When the Richard Allen Picnic Committee held its first reunion picnic in 1993, they bestowed an honorary placque to my father thanking my grandfather for his role in the founding of the reunions. This leads to my current journey as an archivist, family historian and artist.
When my aunt Casey died suddenly in 2017, we finally got access to my grandfather's photo album which contained hundreds of family photos as well as other pivotal documents such as funeral programs, news paper clipppings, etc. My grandmother Victoria died the following week, rendering any unlabeled pictured person not identifiable to my father a complete mystery. It generated a few thoughts in my mind: I realized I should be more intentional about documenting the people in my life and I should do more in depth research into my family history. Several years pass by, hundreds of research and reconnections lead me to writing this post today.
Butch will forever be an example of what it meant to be a community member and I can't wait to explore more about him and who he was. Happy Heavenly Birthday Butch!
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| My father and grandfather at Richard Allen Homes, ca. late 1960s |
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