Keith Young

Published 12:00 am Friday, June 11, 2010

Keith Allen Young was born July 12, 1967 at Choctaw General Hospital in Butler, Alabama.
He is the son of Billie Jean Young and Willie James Rackley.
He is a member of the Choctaw County High School class of 1985.
Keith played football in high school and at East Mississippi Jr. College (1985-87) and
went on to earn his Bachelor of Science at Jackson State University in 1990 whereupon he returned home to teach at Choctaw County High School where he served as coordinator of the history division for ten years.
Keith is a member of the Alpha Beta Chapter of Phi Beta sigma fraternity.
At his death, Keith was a first term Pennington, Alabama Town Council member.
A faithful, loyal, humble man, Keith found the best in everyone he met.
For over twenty years he worked as lightning/sound technician for the theatrical productions created by his mother.
As her biggest fan, Keith has driven untold miles to ensure proper technical support for her productions.
Always the professional in his own work, he brought the same professionalism to all his work-volunteer and otherwise.
Keith is survived by a doting grandmother, Mrs. Susie M. Young, who raised him; his mother, Billie Jean Young of Marion, Alabama; his father, Willie James Rackley of Butler, Alabama; two sons, Jarkeith Ruffin of Laverne, Tennessee, Malachi Dubose of Tuscaloosa, Alabama; seven brothers, Anthony Dwayne Young of Germany, Tony
Williams of Detroit, Scottie Rackley (April) of Meridian, MS, Darius Rackley of Butler, Kelvin Rackley (Donna) of Birmingham, Leonardo Chaney (Dianne) of Melvin, and Chardick Coleman of Womack Hill; one sister Angie Rackley of Birmingham; special “sister”, first cousins, Glenda Williams, Sandra Woods Bryant, LaTonya Turner Robinson, and Trina Turner Myricks; special aunts and his Grandmother’s sisters, Willie Mae Bryant and Georgia D. Williams; his mother’s devoted and loving siblings, Ivory Lee Young, Eva D. Long, Oliver Young, Jr., Barbara Ann Young, Shirley Mae Williams,
and Richard Young; his God Sister, Maya Hayes of Nashville, Tennessee; devoted and loyal best friend Sharon “ Shaboo” McNeely; his buddy, Tracy Maye; his childhood
friend, Kevin “Jaybird” James; special classmates and fellow officers of the class of 1985, Maurice Sealey and Elvira Carter; and a host of heartbroken aunts and uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and neighbors.
In 2005, Keith was stricken with the catastrophic illness that led indirectly to his death . Renal failure was followed by five years of dialysis that necessitated a 90-mile round trip three times a week.
He drove himself. Ever the servant advocate, in 2006, Keith helped to organize and testified in hearings on health care in the Alabama Blackbelt conducted by The Drama Project, Southwest Alabama Association of Rural and Minority Women, the Rural Development Leadership Network and the Federation of Child Care Agencies of Alabama (FOCAL). In spite of the debilitating and draining sickness, Keith nonetheless, found the time and energy to serve; in 2008 he was elected to the Pennington town council where he served admirably until his death.
Likewise, he returned as a volunteer with coaching staff in the Choctaw County Schools.
In an interview with his mother on December 30, 2009, Keith shared much of his life’s philosophy.
Services for Pennington, Alabama Town Councilmember, Keith Allen young, 42, will be held Saturday, June 12, 2010 at high noon, at Choctaw County High School (gymtorium) 277 Tom Orr Drive, Butler, Alabama 36904.
Visitation will be at Weatherly-Studdard Memorial Chapel on Friday, June 11, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, expressions may be sent to the Keith Allen Young Memorial Fund at 302 East Lafayette Street, Marion, Alabama in care of Billie Jean Young.