Donald Gerald Young

SALAMANCA — Donald Gerald Young, 97, of Salamanca, died Monday evening, April 20, 2026, at Olean General Hospital, following a short illness.

Born March 23, 1929, in Buffalo, he was the son of the late Gerald and Rose Sanger Young and Mary Beatty Young.

He was a graduate of Great Valley School, Class of 1946.

Don was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving from 1950-52 during the Korean War.

In 1972, Don met Monica “Nin” Abrams and her family. Nin and Don remained together until Nin’s passing 2017.

He had been employed with the U.S. Postal Service in Salamanca for 46 years, starting out as a mail carrier, moving on to clerk and then to assistant postmaster. Prior to that, he worked at the former Fancher Furniture Company.

Don was a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars John F. Ahrens Post 5296, the American Legion Hughes-Skiba Post 535 and was a member of the Moose Fraternity, Salamanca Senior Center and the Cattaraugus-Allegany Counties Joint Veterans Council. He was a member of Our Lady of Peace Parish, the former St. Patrick’s RC Church.

Surviving are two sisters, Diane (Daniel) Dolecki and Patti Yehl, both of Salamanca; a brother, Jerry (Kimberly) Young of Salamanca; a brother-in-law, Bill Hunt of Salamanca; and several nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by four sisters, Juanita (Gordon) Smallman, JoAnn (Bill) Haley, Barbara (Jack) Gould and Judy Hunt; and four brothers, David (Florence) Young, Dennis Young, Gerald Young and Robert Young.

A memorial mass will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 16, 2026, at Our Lady of Peace Parish, 274 Broad St., Salamanca, with Rev. Charles Johnson, pastor, as celebrant. Burial will be in Wildwood Cemetery at the convenience of the family.

Full military honors will be conducted by members of the American Legion Hughes-Skiba Post 535 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars John F. Ahrens Post 5296.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to the Salamanca Historical Society, 125 Main St., Salamanca; or the Salamanca Area Senior Center, 18-20 Main St., Salamanca.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the O’Rourke & O’Rourke Inc. Funeral home, 25 River St., Salamanca.

E-condolences can be sent to orourke.orourkefh@gmail.com or posted to facebook.com/onofh.