Nancy Lizotte Young

Nancy Lizotte Young, born November 2, 1935, in Rumford, Maine, died November 17, 2025, in Milwaukie, Oregon, after enduring dementia for many years.

She was the daughter of Ruth Neal Lizotte and Levitt Lizotte, both deceased, and the older sister of Earl Lizotte, who also preceded her in death.

Nancy grew up in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and attended Antioch College, where she met and married Paul Ruel Young of Saint Marys, Ohio. Together they had two children and lived in Boston, Massachusetts; Portland, Oregon; and Palo Alto, California, before settling in West Lafayette, Indiana. There, Nancy earned her PhD in Biochemistry at Purdue University. The marriage ended in 1974. Nancy subsequently lived in New York, California, Massachusetts, and Oregon.

Nancy was an idealist who tackled life directly and with determination. She cared deeply about the environment and nutrition and pursued her convictions wholeheartedly. In addition to her research in Biochemistry, she worked variously as a veterinary technician, laboratory technician, and furniture maker. Later in life she bought, rehabbed, and sold several homes. She loved to garden and plant trees, and was an active volunteer with Portland Friends of Trees. She had a beautiful sense of interior and landscape design. Nancy was a devoted mother, grandmother, and pet owner, and a loyal friend.

Nancy is survived by her children, Lisa McIlwain (Thomas McIlwain) of Quilcene, Washington, and Neal Young (Mindy Marks) of Boston, Massachusetts; and grandchildren, Hope Neels (Andrew Neels) of Richmond, Virginia, Marina Redlin (Chad Redlin) of Yakima, Washington, and Jacob Young of Boston, Massachusetts.

No public memorial service is planned. In lieu of flowers, donations in Nancy’s memory may be made to the Sierra Club.