Dr. Thomas James Young was born on September 4th, 1958, at Tacoma General to John and Kay Young. The second of three boys, he grew up on McChord Air Force Base, graduated high school from Tacoma Baptist, and attended Pierce College with the intention of becoming a marine biologist.

One night, after a diving trip with friends, Tom was a passenger in a car accident—t-boned on his side of the vehicle at 50 mph. He was brought to Madigan, where his challenging recovery began his interest in natural medicine and holistic therapies. He completed his degree at Western Washington University and later attended Western States Chiropractic College and Bastyr University, graduating with doctorates in chiropractic and naturopathic medicine.

With a heavy class load and a job as a waiter, Tom was resourceful in finding ways to be on the water—using his student loans to buy a boat, then selling the boat at the end of the summer to get his textbooks.

Tom began his practice on Steilacoom Blvd in Lakewood. Around that time, he noticed that Carolyn Juergens, the local dairy farmer's daughter, was all grown up and looking (as Tom would later say), "hubba-hubba." Tom proposed to Carolyn with a ring he made himself. For 36 years they were partners in all things, from business to child-rearing to chasing sunsets.

They didn't know they would have 13 children at the start, and when questioned on it, Dr. Young would shrug and claim that "they just kept coming." Tom loved his growing brood, and the brood loved him back. Every night before bed he would read and pray with them. At his direction they moved as a herd up mountains, across country, crossing lake, river, and ocean as the whim took him. The logistics involved were akin to a small army, but Tom thrived on the challenge.

Tom moved the practice to Gravelly Lake Dr, seizing the opportunity to construct his own clinic in 1991. When his fourth child was on the way, Tom built the family home near Puyallup. He was enthusiastic in supporting any building project, be it at a friend's home or to support their local church, usually with a few sons in tow.

His delight knew no bounds when grandchildren started to arrive, and he enthusiastically packed them around. Between doting on his progeny and constructing various structures, Tom still found time to get to the office and be a doctor. "Doc" was a skilled physician and a fierce advocate for his patients, practicing medicine for 37 years. His skill in finding the root cause of a health issue and the most effective way to treat it saved many from lives of pain and infirmity.

Tom experienced a stroke and subsequently graduated to glory on October 31, 2025, surrounded by his family at St. Joseph's in Tacoma, WA. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle, and friend. He was a silent philanthropist and an earnest Christian. He is survived by his wife Carolyn, thirteen children: Samuel (Kira), Cassandra (Jedidiah), Joshua (Jessica), Rachel (Joshua), Timothy, Kaitlin (Brian), Nathan, Anna, Joel, Peter, Rebecca, Mark, and Walter, six grandchildren, his mother Kay Young,  his brothers Jefferey (Kimberly) and Steven, and many nephews and nieces. His family takes comfort in the knowledge that they will see him again in Heaven, where he is seeing our Savior Jesus now with both eyes and possibly a full head of hair.

Celebration of Life to be held at Urban Grace Church in Tacoma November 22, 2025 at 1 pm.  In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the Tom Young Memorial Fund at Resurrection Presbyterian Church which will support one last building project.