Jill Shannon Thompson Young

Jill Shannon Thompson Young, 51, of Marion, peacefully passed away on Sunday morning, April 7, 2024 at CarePartners Hospice Solace Center.

She was born in Surry County on May 4, 1972 to Betty Jean Hamlin Thompson and the late Vance Thompson.

Jill graduated from Surry Central High School in 1990, and she was a 1994 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. It was there that she earned a Bachelor’s of Music Education, was a member of Mu Phi Epsilon International Co-ed Professional Music Fraternity and Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society, and where she met her husband. Jill was a lifelong educator who was passionate about music education. She devoted her career to the students of McDowell County. She began at Marion Elementary School in 1994 and then spent 23 years at Old Fort Elementary. The last four years of her career were spent teaching chorus at both East and West Middle Schools. Jill was proud of her National Board certification, and she will be remembered for the special bonds she created with her students and colleagues. She loved her entire family as well. She enjoyed traveling with them, but some of her most treasured times were spent with her husband and son on Lake James. 

She is survived by her husband, Patrick Charles Young; her son, Daniel Vance Young; her mother, Betty Jean Thompson of Elkin; her brother, Dexter Thompson and wife Cindy of Low Gap; her nephew, Joseph Thompson and wife Sarah of Blacksburg, Virginia; and her niece, Elizabeth Thompson and fiancé Ryan Chappell of Boiling Springs, South Carolina. 

A funeral service will be held on Friday, April 12, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church of Marion with Rev. Barbara Boyd Mayo officiating. The family will receive friends from 4:00 until 6:00 p.m. Burial will be private at West Marion Cemetery.

Per her request, Mrs. Young’s former students are invited to join a group singing of “Amazing Grace” at the service. The funeral service will also be livestreamed on the YouTube and Facebook pages of First United Methodist Church. Please see the link below.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the McDowell High Band. Please make checks payable to MHS Band and mail to 600 McDowell High Drive, Marion, NC 28752. Please denote that this is a memorial for Jill Young on the check.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the wonderful doctors, nurses, and staff at New Horizons Women’s Cancer Care in Asheville.

YouTube Livestream Link: https://www.youtube.com/@firstunitedmethodistchurch6471
Facebook Livestream Link: https://www.facebook.com/p/First-United-Methodist-Church-of-Marion-NC-100064759834240/