The End of a Dinasty
When I was in my 50s I was told that the F. P. Young company was the largest independent fuel oil dealer in the city of Philadelphia. I never knew that until well after my father and his brothers sold the family business in the 1990s. It was almost ten years after the sale that I was told that.
Today We held a funeral for my Uncle Joe, the last of the brothers that built that company in the 1950s and 1960s to be that power house in the retail home heating oil that was my family's legacy
Joseph Anthony Young February 7 1934 - November 8 2024.
Joe Young, along with his older brothers John Young and Frank Young were innovators in this residential heating industry in Philadelphia. They went door to door to ask those families that had fuel oil tank fill pipes on their homes, if they wanted to purchase fuel from F P Young company. That hard work was what made the family fuel business grow.
Today we celebrated the life of Joseph Young
Edward Young Retired
After you make that expensive repair and you still have the same problem, What will you check next?
Comments
-
A toast to Joe. Sounds like he was a get ‘er done type of guy.
Bob "hot rod" Rohr
trainer for Caleffi NA
Living the hydronic dream1 -
-
Well done, Joe, and beautifully said, Ed.
Retired and loving it.1 -
"Uncle Joe" has joined the well respected club we often refer to on this site. Think of all the techs and homeowners that have or will get to see the heating systems Joe's hands have touched.
2 -
Rest peacefully.
1 -
-
What is remarkable to me is that he made a living by helping others when so many others are in it for themselves. I've met great contractors and some that I wouldn't go near with a 10' pole. I will never do business with an associate or customer that steals whether it be money, tools, or time.
I'm reminded of a true story about a cotton broker during the Great Depression who would buy a farmer's cotton and pay the farmer based upon the grade of the cotton. That day the cotton broker's son did the grading and when the father reviewed the transaction he discovered that the son had mis-graded the purchase and paid the farmer less than was due for the quality. He made his son drive out to the farmer and pay the farmer for the difference, one dollar and seventy five cents. That cotton broker was a quality person. We need more like him, today.
4 -
RIP Joe Young. Sorry for your loss. (0 years a full life.
1 -
-
Sorry, meant 90 years.
1 -
Sorry for your loss @EdTheHeaterMan .But it's clear he had a life well lived. Lotta solace in that.
Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.1 -
While we are here on Earth it is incumbent on us to hold the line, keep standards high and pass on what we can to those respectful & worthy. That is what those that swung the wrenches before us did. Mad Dog
2 -
My condolences.
Slant Fin Galaxy GG100(1986) , 2 zone hot water baseboard, T87 Honeywell thermostats.1 -
I am very sorry for your loss, the pain from the loss of a loved one never goes away.
1 -
Thanks for sharing this beautiful tribute with us @EdTheHeaterMan. I'm so sorry for your loss.
President
HeatingHelp.com1 -
This is the strangest thing. For some reason the last few weeks I've been reminiscing about when I was younger. And I thought of my mom's workplace. I remember picking her up there during the holidays and at Christmas time they would have a big holiday party with a lot of food and they would always give my mom food to take home the I remember Joe very well he hired me to clean a garage out around the corner from Young's oil. I believe it was the late 80s early 90s. Frank, Joe,and John.treated my mom and all of the employees like family. It's this strange scene this article posted when it just popped into my head like 2 weeks ago whatever happened to everyone I was trying to look up on the internet I found Joan's daughter on Facebook a couple weeks ago and we were talking about the old times. I drove by where F.P.Young's was at 8 years ago it is totally just grass now and a little Hill you would never know it was ever there on the Olney Avenue I remember DePaul being right across the street. It was so sad driving by there you would never know they were ever there. But I will always cherish the memories.They always let me come in the office and I remember always smelling that oil smell I loved it lol.R.I.P. Joe I will never forget how nice you and your brothers were to my mom and to all of us when we would come pick her up. In case anyone is wondering my mom is Catherine Mitchell but everybody called her Kay. And the crazy part is my Aunt Claire is cousins with the youngs. My mom worked for Young's for many years then my uncle ended up marrying Claire and my mom found out she was cousins with all of them small world.
0 -
Unfortunately my mom passed away back in 2012 from cancer my dad back in 2009😢 and I heard that's what happened to Joan Dehaven and her husband. We tried to get a hold of Lou Wagner for my Mom and Dad's anniversary back in 2001 but we could never track her down. I imagine most of them are gone now Joe was the same age as my mom. I remember meeting some of their children that drove the oil trucks. But I was so young. They will all never be forgotten 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
0 -
@Brianthedj70, Thanks for sharing this memory with me. It actually saddens me to drive on the 800 block of Olney ave. There is nothing left of the place.
Edward Young Retired
After you make that expensive repair and you still have the same problem, What will you check next?
0 -
I'm almost positive it was Frank Young being quoted in a trade magazine about selling dog food and giving away puppies. Late 60's?
To learn more about this professional, click here to visit their ad in Find A Contractor.0 -
That sounds like him.
His most common comment was "we sell machines that eat" He was on a business trip and was seated on a plane (they may have had propellers back then) when the person next to him struck up a conversation about the reason for each other's trip. The other passenger sold stapling machines. Like for publishing companies. He mentioned that they were basically in the same business. This puzzled my uncle Frank because he did not see the connection between OIL and Stapling machines. Then the man said once you sell an oil burner , that burner eats OIL, just like my stapling machines eat Staples.
You sell a machine that eats and the owner of that machine will be your customer for as long as you treat them with good service at a fair price.
Edward Young Retired
After you make that expensive repair and you still have the same problem, What will you check next?
1 -
You have a freakish good memory to recall that over 50 years later! WOW
0
Categories
- All Categories
- 86.3K THE MAIN WALL
- 3.1K A-C, Heat Pumps & Refrigeration
- 53 Biomass
- 422 Carbon Monoxide Awareness
- 90 Chimneys & Flues
- 2K Domestic Hot Water
- 5.4K Gas Heating
- 99 Geothermal
- 156 Indoor-Air Quality
- 3.4K Oil Heating
- 63 Pipe Deterioration
- 916 Plumbing
- 6K Radiant Heating
- 381 Solar
- 14.9K Strictly Steam
- 3.3K Thermostats and Controls
- 53 Water Quality
- 41 Industry Classes
- 47 Job Opportunities
- 17 Recall Announcements