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Posted by LINDA CHION KENNEY: To those who knew him, James S. Young Jr. was a man with a big heart, especially prone to helping children. "You're living large, partner," was a term he liked to use and, indeed, it signified his life as well. Friends and family say he was a tireless man from humble roots, driven to succeed, who opened his Golden Corral resturant to the community for its many functions, fundraisers and organizational and service club meetings. Young's sudden death on April 25, 2008 shocked a town that grew used to his ready smile, kind heart and giving manner. Coverage includes the visitation and funeral Mass at Nativity Catholic Church and the gathering of family and friends at the Barn Theatre at Winthrop. Visit also: Veterans Day at the Golden Corral .
![James Young, center, with long-time friend James "Jim" Nuzzo, left, and State Rep. Rich Glorioso, R-Plant City, on Veterans Day 2007 at the Golden Corral.
EULOGY OF A GOOD MAN: JAMES S. YOUNG JR.
By James "Jim" Nuzzo
"Hello, everyone and thank you for being here. It is a testament to a man deserving of such a farewell.
"For those of you who do not know, my name is Jim Nuzzo. I am here to eulogize James. This was not in our plan. I was never supposed to do this. It was he that should've been here when my time came. That was our agreement and today my heart is heavy with the loss of my dear friend.
"I am not here to talk about the public man. Everyone here knows that James. I am here to talk about the private man, the one I call my little brother.
"Almost 35 years ago a young man of 15 walked into my office after his dad, who then worked for me, set up an appointment. This young man was looking for a summer job to help with the family finances. I was so impressed with his politeness, sincerity and willingness to work I gave him a job washing cars on our lots for $15 a day. Over the years James insisted it was $10. And so began a relationship that would last until today and beyond.
"Over the next few years I would follow James in his ventures at Ireland's Steakhouse in Temple Terrace and be in the audience from time to time watching him entertain with his Elvis-like singing voice. Although he didn't resemble Elvis, if you closed your eyes and listened you would think Elvis was in the room. He was that good.
"In the summer of 1979 I was now in public practice and one day James called me and asked me to lunch. He was starting a business and asked me to handle his books because he wanted to make sure everything would be right. At lunch he told me he bought a lawn mover and had two houses under contract. I grinned, trying very hard not to laugh out loud. I looked over at him and saw the excitement and seriousness on his face and decided this was a young man going places.
"That meeting was the beginning of a business relationship that would never end. I was his mentor and business and financial advisor from that day forward. Over time we also became best friends.
"As his landscape business prospered he developed a relationship with a property management company and soon started other businesses to service the needs of property under management. One day he came to me and said he was concerned he would lose everything if his relationship with the owner fell apart. I told him to make him an offer he couldn't refuse and the next [thing] I knew he bought the company.
"James was driven, he was a workaholic and he would talk constantly about building his empire. I remember telling him he needed only to live a comfortable life and provide for his family and spend time enjoying the fruits of his success. But not James, he wanted it all. There was no slowing him down. He built business after business and I think at one time he owned or had an interest in 12 entities.
"There was another side to James. He was a loving, caring, compassionate man who was always there in time of need. He was there for me many times over the years, in times of happiness as well as sadness. In 1990 I lost my son in a car accident. James dropped everything and spent every minute of every day for a week to be by my side.
"About 12 years ago we were having a formal 75th birthday party for my mother and we had a buffet-style dinner. When James arrives and sees the setup he goes over and talks to another friend of ours and before you know, these two gentlemen, dressed in tuxedos, were behind the buffet serving the dinner, talking to, joking with, kissing and hugging and just totally charming my mother's equally elderly friends. All they could talk about for months to come were how wonderful her sons were to them. From then on whenever I was around her friends I was like the evil stepson. These acts of kindness were duplicated many times over the years for me and for many other people.
"As you all know, James was a charitable man. He couldn't say no. Children's charities were where he helped most. Anything for the kids, he gave even if he couldn't afford to. Everyone is probably familiar with the lights and the picture-taking of the kids on Santa's lab at Christmastime at his home. It was an annual event for some 20 years and families from afar would come to see it. I think at its peak there were some 75,000 lights on the house and grounds. I couldn't even begin to list the charitable events he was involved in. Whether he organized, sponsored, or was simply a participant in these events, once he started you could depend on him year after year.
"He had a little prankster in him as well. On Military Appreciation Day three years ago, as the festivities began, the honor guard came forward and everyone in uniform saluted arms awaiting the singing of the National Anthem. It seems the scheduled singer was late and military was not about to drop their salute. James is standing next to me and says, 'Jim, get up there and sing the Anthem.' I look at him and say, 'Excuse me, you do it.' So James and I are going back and forth saying, 'You do it,' when the sergeant major standing next to James, his arm obviously getting tired, says, 'Someone better do it soon.' So, being a vet, I do the right thing and take the microphone. Now there is no music and I'm trying to remember all the words while shaking from nervousness at the same time. Sometime during all of this James shifts behind me and to my right, and with his right hand across his chest in honor of the flag, and his left (hand) hidden from the crowds, starts poking me in the ribs at different times during the song. When this nightmare finally ends I turn to James, hoping to see his blood soon, and he throws his hands up in a gesture of surrender and smiles and says, 'You're living large, partner. You're living large.' By the way, this was one of his favorite phrases. To this day I think he planned the whole thing.
"About 25 years ago, (James) met a young lady named Katy who would become the love of his life. They have been married for 23 years. Along the way they were blessed with a son, Blake, and a daughter, Marla. James and Katy honored me by asking me to be Marla's godfather. It was one of the highlights of my life. James believed now he had it all -- a loving family and the success to provide everything they could ever want or need.
"Many years ago his mother, Doris (pictured above, in front of a picture of her son and grandchildren), told me that from age 16 James had taken care of the family. He learned early on that family was the most important thing and he never wavered from that enormous responsibility.
"Everything he did, he did for the ones he loved. As I said earlier, he was driven and sometimes that drive kept him away from those he loved; and although he regretted it, he could always justify it with the thought he 'was doing it for them.' That was his biggest personality flaw. He just didn't know how to slow down.
"In the end, he was spread too thin. The demands on him from inside and outside his business were enormous. He just didn't know how to slow down or say no.
"I was always so proud of the man (James) had become. He was a good man with a good heart and an amazing capacity for love. In 35 years we had just two disagreements. He was my little brother, my best friend, my confidant and my business partner. I trusted him implicitly. He will leave behind an emptiness in the hearts of all those who cared for him and especially in the family he loved so much. A long time ago his family became mine -- and mine, his -- and they all know I will be there for them as long as I have a breath left in me.
"As for me, I will have that same emptiness in my heart. James, I have been your friend for so many years and I will be your friend forever. I can't imagine my life without you in it. You have been such a large part of it and you left much too soon.
"That little dash between the dates, be proud little brother. You did well.
"Take care, buddy, and thanks for the great ride. Until we meet again, learn to slow down just a little."](http://www.mypapernow.com/Other/Forever-Young-In-Remembrance/i-rWbpKBH/3/Ti/DSC_0998-Ti.jpg "James Young, center, with long-time friend James \"Jim\" Nuzzo, left, and State Rep. Rich Glorioso, R-Plant City, on Veterans Day 2007 at the Golden Corral.
EULOGY OF A GOOD MAN: JAMES S. YOUNG JR.
By James \"Jim\" Nuzzo
\"Hello, everyone and thank you for being here. It is a testament to a man deserving of such a farewell.
\"For those of you who do not know, my name is Jim Nuzzo. I am here to eulogize James. This was not in our plan. I was never supposed to do this. It was he that should've been here when my time came. That was our agreement and today my heart is heavy with the loss of my dear friend.
\"I am not here to talk about the public man. Everyone here knows that James. I am here to talk about the private man, the one I call my little brother.
\"Almost 35 years ago a young man of 15 walked into my office after his dad, who then worked for me, set up an appointment. This young man was looking for a summer job to help with the family finances. I was so impressed with his politeness, sincerity and willingness to work I gave him a job washing cars on our lots for $15 a day. Over the years James insisted it was $10. And so began a relationship that would last until today and beyond.
\"Over the next few years I would follow James in his ventures at Ireland's Steakhouse in Temple Terrace and be in the audience from time to time watching him entertain with his Elvis-like singing voice. Although he didn't resemble Elvis, if you closed your eyes and listened you would think Elvis was in the room. He was that good.
\"In the summer of 1979 I was now in public practice and one day James called me and asked me to lunch. He was starting a business and asked me to handle his books because he wanted to make sure everything would be right. At lunch he told me he bought a lawn mover and had two houses under contract. I grinned, trying very hard not to laugh out loud. I looked over at him and saw the excitement and seriousness on his face and decided this was a young man going places.
\"That meeting was the beginning of a business relationship that would never end. I was his mentor and business and financial advisor from that day forward. Over time we also became best friends.
\"As his landscape business prospered he developed a relationship with a property management company and soon started other businesses to service the needs of property under management. One day he came to me and said he was concerned he would lose everything if his relationship with the owner fell apart. I told him to make him an offer he couldn't refuse and the next [thing] I knew he bought the company.
\"James was driven, he was a workaholic and he would talk constantly about building his empire. I remember telling him he needed only to live a comfortable life and provide for his family and spend time enjoying the fruits of his success. But not James, he wanted it all. There was no slowing him down. He built business after business and I think at one time he owned or had an interest in 12 entities.
\"There was another side to James. He was a loving, caring, compassionate man who was always there in time of need. He was there for me many times over the years, in times of happiness as well as sadness. In 1990 I lost my son in a car accident. James dropped everything and spent every minute of every day for a week to be by my side.
\"About 12 years ago we were having a formal 75th birthday party for my mother and we had a buffet-style dinner. When James arrives and sees the setup he goes over and talks to another friend of ours and before you know, these two gentlemen, dressed in tuxedos, were behind the buffet serving the dinner, talking to, joking with, kissing and hugging and just totally charming my mother's equally elderly friends. All they could talk about for months to come were how wonderful her sons were to them. From then on whenever I was around her friends I was like the evil stepson. These acts of kindness were duplicated many times over the years for me and for many other people.
\"As you all know, James was a charitable man. He couldn't say no. Children's charities were where he helped most. Anything for the kids, he gave even if he couldn't afford to. Everyone is probably familiar with the lights and the picture-taking of the kids on Santa's lab at Christmastime at his home. It was an annual event for some 20 years and families from afar would come to see it. I think at its peak there were some 75,000 lights on the house and grounds. I couldn't even begin to list the charitable events he was involved in. Whether he organized, sponsored, or was simply a participant in these events, once he started you could depend on him year after year.
\"He had a little prankster in him as well. On Military Appreciation Day three years ago, as the festivities began, the honor guard came forward and everyone in uniform saluted arms awaiting the singing of the National Anthem. It seems the scheduled singer was late and military was not about to drop their salute. James is standing next to me and says, 'Jim, get up there and sing the Anthem.' I look at him and say, 'Excuse me, you do it.' So James and I are going back and forth saying, 'You do it,' when the sergeant major standing next to James, his arm obviously getting tired, says, 'Someone better do it soon.' So, being a vet, I do the right thing and take the microphone. Now there is no music and I'm trying to remember all the words while shaking from nervousness at the same time. Sometime during all of this James shifts behind me and to my right, and with his right hand across his chest in honor of the flag, and his left (hand) hidden from the crowds, starts poking me in the ribs at different times during the song. When this nightmare finally ends I turn to James, hoping to see his blood soon, and he throws his hands up in a gesture of surrender and smiles and says, 'You're living large, partner. You're living large.' By the way, this was one of his favorite phrases. To this day I think he planned the whole thing.
\"About 25 years ago, (James) met a young lady named Katy who would become the love of his life. They have been married for 23 years. Along the way they were blessed with a son, Blake, and a daughter, Marla. James and Katy honored me by asking me to be Marla's godfather. It was one of the highlights of my life. James believed now he had it all -- a loving family and the success to provide everything they could ever want or need.
\"Many years ago his mother, Doris (pictured above, in front of a picture of her son and grandchildren), told me that from age 16 James had taken care of the family. He learned early on that family was the most important thing and he never wavered from that enormous responsibility.
\"Everything he did, he did for the ones he loved. As I said earlier, he was driven and sometimes that drive kept him away from those he loved; and although he regretted it, he could always justify it with the thought he 'was doing it for them.' That was his biggest personality flaw. He just didn't know how to slow down.
\"In the end, he was spread too thin. The demands on him from inside and outside his business were enormous. He just didn't know how to slow down or say no.
\"I was always so proud of the man (James) had become. He was a good man with a good heart and an amazing capacity for love. In 35 years we had just two disagreements. He was my little brother, my best friend, my confidant and my business partner. I trusted him implicitly. He will leave behind an emptiness in the hearts of all those who cared for him and especially in the family he loved so much. A long time ago his family became mine -- and mine, his -- and they all know I will be there for them as long as I have a breath left in me.
\"As for me, I will have that same emptiness in my heart. James, I have been your friend for so many years and I will be your friend forever. I can't imagine my life without you in it. You have been such a large part of it and you left much too soon.
\"That little dash between the dates, be proud little brother. You did well.
\"Take care, buddy, and thanks for the great ride. Until we meet again, learn to slow down just a little.\"")
EXCERPTS BELOW FROM THE REV. ARTHUR J. PROULX
THE EULOGY WAS GIVEN BY JAMES "JIM" NUZZO.
"What we know for certain is that God is both compassionate and merciful to us, to James' family and to James himself," said the Rev. Arthur J. Proulx, pastor of Nativity Catholic Church, who celebrated the April 30, 2008 funeral Mass for Tampa native James S. Young Jr., 49, of Brandon. "God is infinitesimally and inexhaustibly merciful." Young's death, the pastor added, "is tragic, there's no denying that, and a death that leaves many unanswered questions, most of which will never be answered in this life." God demands a lot, Proulx said. "He insists that we keep the commandments, all of them, and that we love our neighbor as we do ourselves. But he doesn't make it difficult for us to get into heaven. In fact, he'll do anything to get us there. God desires our salvation."
Jame Young is pictured above at the distribution of checks to charities by the Greater Brandon Community Foundation, for which Young served as a board member.
THE EULOGY WAS GIVEN BY JAMES "JIM" NUZZO.
"What we know for certain is that God is both compassionate and merciful to us, to James' family and to James himself," said the Rev. Arthur J. Proulx, pastor of Nativity Catholic Church, who celebrated the April 30, 2008 funeral Mass for Tampa native James S. Young Jr., 49, of Brandon. "God is infinitesimally and inexhaustibly merciful." Young's death, the pastor added, "is tragic, there's no denying that, and a death that leaves many unanswered questions, most of which will never be answered in this life." God demands a lot, Proulx said. "He insists that we keep the commandments, all of them, and that we love our neighbor as we do ourselves. But he doesn't make it difficult for us to get into heaven. In fact, he'll do anything to get us there. God desires our salvation."
Jame Young is pictured above at the distribution of checks to charities by the Greater Brandon Community Foundation, for which Young served as a board member.
EULOGY WAS GIVEN BY JAMES "JIM" NUZZO.
"What we know for certain is that God is both compassionate and merciful to us, to James' family and to James himself," said the Rev. Arthur J. Proulx, pastor of Nativity Catholic Church, who celebrated the April 30, 2008 funeral Mass for Tampa native James S. Young Jr., 49, of Brandon. "God is infinitesimally and inexhaustibly merciful." Young's death, the pastor added, "is tragic, there's no denying that, and a death that leaves many unanswered questions, most of which will never be answered in this life." God demands a lot, Proulx said. "He insists that we keep the commandments, all of them, and that we love our neighbor as we do ourselves. But he doesn't make it difficult for us to get into heaven. In fact, he'll do anything to get us there. God desires our salvation."
Jame Young is pictured above at the distribution of checks to charities by the Greater Brandon Community Foundation, for which Young served as a board member." href="javascript:openLB(231782615,'',XLarge,'',1024,681);">
EXCERPTS BELOW FROM THE REV. ARTHUR J. PROULX
THE EULOGY WAS GIVEN BY JAMES "JIM" NUZZO.
"What we know for certain is that God is both compassionate and merciful to us, to James' family and to James himself," said the Rev. Arthur J. Proulx, pastor of Nativity Catholic Church, who celebrated the April 30, 2008 funeral Mass for Tampa native James S. Young Jr., 49, of Brandon. "God is infinitesimally and inexhaustibly merciful." Young's death, the pastor added, "is tragic, there's no denying that, and a death that leaves many unanswered questions, most of which will never be answered in this life." God demands a lot, Proulx said. "He insists that we keep the commandments, all of them, and that we love our neighbor as we do ourselves. But he doesn't make it difficult for us to get into heaven. In fact, he'll do anything to get us there. God desires our salvation."
Jame Young is pictured above at the distribution of checks to charities by the Greater Brandon Community Foundation, for which Young served as a board member.
THE EULOGY WAS GIVEN BY JAMES "JIM" NUZZO.
"What we know for certain is that God is both compassionate and merciful to us, to James' family and to James himself," said the Rev. Arthur J. Proulx, pastor of Nativity Catholic Church, who celebrated the April 30, 2008 funeral Mass for Tampa native James S. Young Jr., 49, of Brandon. "God is infinitesimally and inexhaustibly merciful." Young's death, the pastor added, "is tragic, there's no denying that, and a death that leaves many unanswered questions, most of which will never be answered in this life." God demands a lot, Proulx said. "He insists that we keep the commandments, all of them, and that we love our neighbor as we do ourselves. But he doesn't make it difficult for us to get into heaven. In fact, he'll do anything to get us there. God desires our salvation."
Jame Young is pictured above at the distribution of checks to charities by the Greater Brandon Community Foundation, for which Young served as a board member.
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