Bill and Nancy Young

The Youngs traveled a short distance to Westminster Canterbury coming from their passive solar house on Quarry Road. Rusty, their house cat, naturally came with them. 

Bill, born in Schenectady, NY, moved as a teenager with his family to Lynchburg in 1956. Nancy, raised in Rocky Mount, VA, arrived, along with Bill, in 1964 because of jobs—Nancy as a teacher at Fort Hill Elementary School and Bill as a professor at Lynchburg College.

The Youngs met at the College of William and Mary, married the same weekend they received their undergraduate degrees and over the next few years earned degrees at both the masters and doctoral levels--Bill at Duke and Emory, and Nancy, Lynchburg College and the University of Virginia. In 2000, after 36 years at LC as Professor of American Studies, Bill retired. While there, in addition to teaching, he wrote on American architecture and popular culture with most of his efforts being published in various formats, including journals, encyclopedias, and books. Over a period of several years, a series of his articles on Lynchburg architecture appeared in the local magazine Lynch’s Ferry. 

Nancy, also retired, enjoyed a career of several different endeavors: elementary school teacher, junior and senior high school counselor, executive director of a not-for-profit counseling agency, adjunct professor at the University of Virginia and Lynchburg College, and management consultant in the area of strategic planning. Along the way she also became a Licensed Professional Counselor and a trained mediator.

Following their retirements, the Youngs embarked on another endeavor: writing. They jointly wrote six books on American popular culture and music encompassing the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. These volumes can be found in the Westminster Canterbury library. 

Today, Bill and Nancy divide their time between personal interests and serving on local boards. Nancy currently holds the position of president of the board for Old City Cemetery and actively supports the annual fundraiser held by M.A.A.M (Mammograms Annually A Must). The enclosed carport at 180 BL gives Bill a woodworking shop where he can spend time with one of his favorite hobbies. When not puttering there, he may be in his study writing, reading, preparing a presentation for some local organization, or studying various travel options to consider for their next trip.

Nancy calls the newly enclosed patio at their cottage the Garden Room. Two glass walls will provide solar gain for the adjoining den and living room, as well as a place for her many houseplants. Nancy plans to turn the small outdoor space behind the cottage into flower and herb beds with a rain barrel that also functions as a fountain and a bench for sitting and enjoying it all. She regularly plays duplicate bridge at the Templeton Center, lists photography, reading and gourmet cooking as her favorite hobbies.