The world lost a great woodworker this week when Ronnie Young, one of SAPFM’s greatest members and Cartouche recipients left this earth to meet his maker and many lost a dear friend and mentor. Ronnie lived a full life, graduated from Tennessee Tech as a Electrical Engineer, and went to work for TVA building nuclear power plants all over the South Eastern United States. He met his wife, Marcia, in college and they had two daughters, Sarah and Laurie.
Ronnie followed his lifelong passion of building traditional American Period Furniture and sharing his knowledge of woodworking with anyone who would listen. Being an engineer, Ronnie loved working on and solving harder and harder woodworking issues. He was a master of paterae inlays and taught many classes on the subject.Ronnie was not content to just build furniture in his basement shop but wanted to share his knowledge with other woodworkers, be it through talking to friends and neighbors that passed by the open doors of his shop or at any SAPFM meeting. He loved designing, encouraging, always improving. Those are the things that he taught his students and friends. He was both a mentor and friend to countless woodworkers of all skill levels. Ronnie built hundreds of pieces of furniture based on the best elements of period furniture.
Ronnie had just moved to Pelham Alabama to be closer to his daughters and grand kids. He will be greatly missed by many.