Cecil Wayne Young

Cecil Wayne Young, 80, of Krebs, passed away Wednesday, June 26, at his home with his family at his side. The family will welcome friends for visitation on Tuesday, July 2, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Brumley-Mills Funeral Home. Funeral services will be Wednesday, July 3, at 10:00 a.m. at Brumley-Mills Funeral Home, with Pastor Chip Lott officiating. Burial will follow at Pryor Cemetery south of Stuart. Pallbearers are Greg Stover, Brandon Campbell, Geoffrey Williams, A.J. Lee, Avion Twyman, Dylan Wallace.
Cecil Wayne Young was born on Sept. 22, 1943, in Indianola to Carl Wayne Young and Alice Syble (Ruffatt) Young. Wayne grew up in McAlester and attended McAlester High School, graduating with the Class of 1961. He married Katie B. Young on July 28, 1962. After graduation, as soon as he was old enough, he joined the US Army Reserve. Prior to his departure to serve his country, Wayne protected and served his community as a Police Officer for both McAlester and Krebs, and later as a Deputy Sheriff for Pittsburg County Sheriff's office. He eventually retired from the US Army, in July of 1991 after more than thirty (30) years of honorable and distinctive service, with the rank of Command Sergeant Major (E-9). His duty stations included, Fort Stewart, Georgia; US Army Garrison Yongsan, Soeul, South Korea; Fort Polk, Louisiana; Ft. Bliss, Texas; ROTC duty at Mankato State University; Fort Riley, Kansas and Ft. Knox, Kentucky. In 1981 Wayne was selected to attend the Sergeants Major Academy, the premier professional military education institution focused on providing all military branches with agile and adaptive senior enlisted leaders. While attending the academy, he received his Associates of Science Degree in Business and was asked to join the staff of the Academy to help mold the future military senior enlisted leaders.
After retiring from the US Army, Wayne joined the Oklahoma Department of Corrections in November 1991. He began his career at Oklahoma State Penitentiary as a Correctional Officer before being promoted through the ranks to Chief of Security at Oklahoma State Reformatory. While at Oklahoma State Reformatory, he met Jacqulyn Houston. They were married on February 20, 2001, in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
In October 2001, Wayne became St. Francis Hospital's one hundredth (100th) heart transplant recipient. Due to his transplant, he retired in November 2001 from the Department of Corrections after a short but distinguished career. His years of military service made him vastly qualified to help develop the Oklahoma Department of Corrections first Honor Guard team.
Wayne accomplished so much, both professionally and personally. His proudest accomplishment, by far, was his family. He leaves a wonderful family who all display the influence he had on their lives. Wayne was the most honest, honorable, gentle person. To say that he was an inspiration and role model, to both his family and many others, would be an understatement. He will be missed by all who knew him.
Cecil is survived by his wife, Jacqulyn Young; a son, Virgil Young and wife Charlie; 2 daughters, Londa Young, and Jami Campbell and husband James; 14 grandchildren Brittany Waller, Morgan Andrews, Greg Stover and wife, Lauren, Lori Campbell, Geoffrey Williams, AJ Lee, Brandon Campbell and fiancé Brianna Nester, Keiana Lee, Kyndall Young, Garrett Tollett, Tami,Simmons, Cami Simmons, Nishille Dycus and Shavelle Dycus; 8 great grandchildren Addison, Maddilyn, Kaydence, Liam, Olivia, Harper, Tobias and Braxlun; a sister, Syble Bone, numerous nieces, nephews and cousins, and lifelong friend, Gene Long, and Wayne's loyal K-9 companion, Reno.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Katie McKinney Young; his parents, Carl and Alice Young; a brother-in-law, Donald Bone, a grandson, Donel Wheeler; a great-nephew, Christopher Morris and his grandparents, Lee and Flossie Young, and Anthony and Lizzie Ruffatt.