Obituary of Helen Sutphen Starr Young

Helen Starr Young, a longtime resident of Piedmont, CA , passed away peacefully on October 14, 2016 at the age of 87. Helen was born in Oakland, CA on September 30, 1929 to Hubert and Dorothy Starr. At the age of 12 she and her family moved to Piedmont where she lived for the rest of her life. She graduated from Piedmont High School, attended Stephens College in Missouri and obtained her Bachelor's in English from UC Berkeley. She worked at UC Berkeley and then at a law firm until she married at 24. Helen was an active member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Oakland as well as the President of the Western Province of the Episcopal Women and on the Episcopal Charities Committee. She volunteered at Children's Hospital in Oakland where she was also on the Board of Directors and a member of the Birch Branch. She was also on the Board of Directors and comptroller of Clausen House in Oakland. She was the 1st woman president of the Alameda Deanery and was on the National Board of the ECW. In addition to all of her volunteer and charity work she was also the unofficial book keeper for her husband's Farmers Insurance agency. Helen was a wonderful cook and loved to entertain—including all ages in the Young Family parties. Helen is survived by her loving husband of 62 years, Norman Bliss Young; daughter, Helen Anne Young-Barrington; grandson, Joseph Drake Kochlacs; niece, Nancy Stewart Griffith and family; and nephew, John Stewart and family. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Catherine Starr Young on November 2, 2013. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 7, 2017 at 1:00 PM at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 114 Montecito Ave, Oakland, CA 94610. In lieu of flowers donations can be made in her memory to the American Cancer Society or to Alzheimer's research.