Robert William "Rob" Young

Robert (Rob) William Young of Lawrence, Kansas died on February 5, 2026 after a long battle with cancer. To paraphrase one of his favorites…he has shuffled off his mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the choir invisible. He will be much missed by his family, along with the friends and colleagues he inspired with his intelligence and his lively, often bone dry, sense of humor.

He was born on March 30, 1969 in Dodge City, Kansas to Fredric and Alberta (Timm) Young. He graduated from Dodge City Senior High School in 1987 and graduated from Kansas State University in 1993 with both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in electrical engineering. He was a proud member of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity.

Rob began his engineering career at a start-up in Twinsburg, Ohio, then returned to Kansas to work at the University of Kansas, becoming Director of the Instrumentation Design Laboratory. He designed instruments to support a myriad of research projects at KU, detecting everything from fruit fly sounds to mouse footprints to cosmic ray particles. He held over ten United States patents, and his work took him all over the world, from the South Pole to Greenland.

Rob enjoyed many creative hobbies. He was a talented woodworker and especially loved hand tool work. He shared his talents and knowledge with many, including the members of The Kansas City Woodworkers Guild where he volunteered and taught classes for many years. He was also a skilled photographer and developed his own black and white film in a dark room he built in his home. A master of the instant pot and the grill, Rob loved cooking and appreciated great food and craft beer.

He is survived by his wife Brenda Johnston, his stepdaughter, Lucy (Rory) Brown, and the family cats, The Divine Ms. Whiskers and Jake, all of Lawrence, Kansas; and his sister Elizabeth Young and her son Alexander Tybinkowski, both of Boxford, Massachusetts. He was preceded in death by his parents.

The family wishes to extend thanks to the oncology team at Lawrence Memorial Hospital for their talents, work and dedication. They made Rob's journey less difficult for him and for Brenda.

Rob's ashes will be laid in The Pioneer Cemetery on The KU Campus. A memorial service will be planned at a later date. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorials be sent to The Kansas City Woodworkers Guild, 1717 Washington Kansas City, MO 64108 or a charity of the donor's choice.