Dwight A. Youngberg went to be with his Lord on August 19, 2018.  He had previously lived in Goodyear, AZ for 7 years and in Chanute, Kansas for 22 years.

Dwight Youngberg was born on April 19, 1944 to Vernon and Gladys Youngberg at Johnson Hospital in Chanute, Kansas.  He attended Chanute public schools and graduated from CHS in 1962.  He graduated from Chanute Junior College (Neosho County Community College) in 1964 and from Pittsburg State University in 1967.  He received his MBA from Central Missouri University in 1970 and performed post-graduate work at Arizona State University, University of New Mexico, Toledo University and the University of Kansas.  Dwight had a distinguished career as a Principal Engineer and Project Engineering Manager at Honeywell Federal Manufacturing and Technologies in Kansas City, for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), for 39 years prior to his retirement in 2005.  His job required a high-level security clearance. His work took him to manage projects in Albuquerque, NM, Pinallas, FL, San Francisco, CA., Tucson and Phoenix, AZ., Washington DC, and many other locations throughout the United States.  Dwight had great pride and interest in assisting with the National Security and Defense of America and contributed significantly to its technology and effectiveness. Dwight is remembered by those with whom he worked for his commitment to excellence on the job and his ability to work effectively with all his co-workers and government officials. He was a member of the Cold War Patriots, an organization of workers in the Nuclear Weapons Industries during the Cold War period.

He married Kathleen (Kathy) Eastburn on June 12, 1966 in Chanute, KS and they had two children, Rev. Darin and wife Wendy of Joplin, MO, daughter Denise Honn and husband Keith of Shawnee, KS., 6 grandchildren (Madison Youngberg King,Jesse Honn, Natali Youngberg Byrne, Justin Honn, Jaclyn Honn, and Brayden Youngberg, 2 great grandchildren.  Dwight was an active member of Lenexa Baptist church at the time of his death.  He and Kathy were volunteer financial counselors in the Kansas City area for many years and they also taught seminars and other financial-assistance classes throughout the mid-west and southwest.  He was formally a member of Prairie Baptist Church where he was a deacon, moderator, Bible School teacher, choir member and helped with the youth. He was also a former member of Hoffmantown Baptist Church in Albuquerque, NM and Emmanuel Baptist Church in Overland Park and a member Lenexa Baptist Church where he led Bible Study classes, financial classes, served as a deacon and was Chairman of the Building Committee at the time they moved to Arizona for health reasons. He was a member of Desert Springs Community Church in Goodyear, AZ before moving back to Johnson County, KS in 2018

Dwight had a passion for living his life fully with his lovely wife, family, and friends. He had a love for traveling, learning new things, and enjoying the adventures life and travel brought him. He was an adoring and proud father and grandfather who loved watching his children and six grandchildren grow into mature adults. He cherished the times he spent with the grandchildren and was always ready to drop everything to be part of their activities and lives. Most importantly, he felt that his life experiences were most meaningful when they were experienced with his loving wife, Kathy and taught to his children and grandchildren. In their early retirement, Dwight and Kathy were fortunate to experience the world through international travel and taking trips with the grandchildren or bringing them to AZ to visit.

He was especially proud of his grandchildren and loved to take them fly fishing, hiking and hunting.  He retired early so he could spend more time with Kathy and grandkids.  After retirement he attended and helped sponsor many of the grandkid’s school activities and field trips.  His purpose in life then was to teach them to be kind, loving, intentional and responsible adults.  His hobbies were photography, fly fishing, gardening and reading.  He provided his family and friends with vegetables, raspberries, and blackberries from his garden.  He loved to be outside and didn’t like winter because it didn’t allow him to do those outside things he loved.

Later in life, when the affects of work-related lung and heart problems limited his activities, he still wanted to do things with the grandkids (even though Kathy and the kids tried to limit what he did).  (He appreciated their concern and tried to minimize his struggles around them.)  He wanted to teach them all the lessons and work techniques and ethics he was taught by his grandfathers and dad and allowed them to use his, and their tools, once he showed them how to use them safely (even a chainsaw at young ages – much to their mother’s and grandmother’s displeasure).  He was reprimanded once by Denise for allowing 5-year old Jaclyn on the roof of the house while he was cleaning the chimney. (He shouldn’t have allowed grandma to take that picture.)

When he could no longer hunt & fish with his grandsons, Jesse, Justin and Brayden, they allowed him to hunt and fish vicariously through them.  They would tell him in detail of their hunts and fishing expeditions and describe the game they harvested.  He enjoyed their tales of the outings and the game they brought home.  He felt very fortunate that Madison and Natali married fine Christian men and enjoyed their visits to Arizona.  He was proud of Jesse becoming an instant dad when he married Steph.  Grandpa always said Jesse knew what is takes to be a great father as does Drew (who with Natali) gave him his first great-grandchild.

Without our faith in the Lord and what the Scriptures tell us, we’d have no hope for any future beyond our physical death.  We know GPa conquered Spiritual Death and he was immediately was with Jesus when he left this life.  He is now rejoicing, free from the disease that made him, in his last years, what he was not.  Gpa was a stalwart of a man; a dedicated Believer and teacher of the Word; a man of his word; a friend to many and always loyal; always had a friendly smile when he greeted people; a dependable, steady, and hard-working-trusted employee wherever he worked; committed to detail when he had a project; a pleasure to be around (most of the time); devoted to his family; a steady, reliable and practical individual; and fully committed to his church and Lord.  He will be missed!

Visitation will be from 9:30-10:30 AM Thursday, August 23rd at Lenexa Baptist Church, 15320 West 87th Street, Lenexa, KS with Funeral Services following at 10:30 AM.  Burial to follow at Swede Center Cemetery near Chanute, KS.