By Craig Anderson

DOVER — Retired Judge Robert B. Young has died at age 77, the Delaware Administrative Office of the Courts announced Thursday.

Judge Young passed away Wednesday, and information on funeral services was not yet available.

Judge Young died of complications from cancer, his son Jeff Young said.

“Judge Young was a great colleague, a cherished friend and a wonderful human being,” said Superior Court President Judge Jan R. Jurden in a news release.

“He loved the Superior Court, he loved his Superior Court family, and he loved helping others.”

In February 2005, Judge Young was appointed by then-Gov. Ruth Ann Minner as a Superior Court judge for Kent County. He retired from full-time service in March 2017, though he periodically returned to assist the court by special designation.

Judge Young headed the Kent County Mental Health Court and was also a past president of the Delaware State Bar Association and the Delaware chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Also, Judge Young was a past counselor of the Terry-Carey Inn of Court and was the recipient of its Professionalism Award. He received a number of other legal and community-based awards, including a Shofar Judicial Award for outstanding service, an ABOTA Distinguished Service Recognition Award, a Combined Campaign for Justice Appreciation Recognition and an American Inns of Court Professionalism Award, among others.

Prior to joining the court, Judge Young began his career practicing law in Dayton, Ohio, in 1969. He was admitted to the Delaware Bar in 1975 and opened a practice in Dover. In 1996, his son joined the firm, and they practiced as Young & Young, until the elder Young was appointed to the bench. After he retired from Superior Court, he joined the firm Reger Rizzo & Darnall LLP.

In addition to his work on the bench, Judge Young was well-known for his work outside of court, particularly his comedic songwriting abilities, according to the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Judge Young authored “The Trial of Elinor Ruttee,” a musical celebrating 300 years of court on The Green in Dover; “Macbeth: A Family Musical; “A Tale of Two Cities: The Rock Opera”; “Moby Dick: A Maritime Musicale”; “An American Tragedy: A Comedy”; “Madame Bovary: Ho, Ho, Ho; “The Crucible: Plymouth Rocks”; “The Public Enemy: Runnin’ Wild”; and “The Tennessee Waltz.”

Nearly all performances involved members of the DSBA, and proceeds of the shows were donated to charity, particularly the Combined Campaign for Justice, which provides legal assistance to the indigent.

“He had a rare combination of historical knowledge of musical theater and an ear for everything interesting before 1975 and a stubborn tenacity to have things done the way he wanted them done,” said Family Court Judge James McGiffin, who frequently performed with Judge Young.

“He had a large measure of creative and comedic genius,” Judge McGiffin added.

Judge McGiffin described Judge Young as a “robust person” who “left a marvelous legacy. He raised two very successful sons (Jeff and Randy) and there was nothing in his life that was as important as his family.

”For all his charm and gregariousness he also had a touch of inner-shyness and really enjoyed nothing more than being home with his family and that was great.”

Jeff Young concurred about his dad, saying he had “zero memories of my father” not taking an active role in all parts of his life growing up.

Judge Young was married to his wife Karen for 54 years at the time of his passing.

“He lived a life totally dedicated to his craft, his family, and his community,” Jeff Young said, noting that his father never wanted fanfare about his accomplishments or contributions to the community.

Jeff Young, a partner of the Dover-based firm Young & McNelis, practiced law with his father for 10 years before Judge Young moved to the bench.

“I always looked up to him and viewed him as a role model,” Mr. Young said. “To be mentored by him was the thrill of a lifetime. He had no agendas and lived always do what he believed was the right thing no matter (who might disagree or agree with him.) ...”

Judge Young was also a member of the “Miracle on 34th Street” cast that each holiday season performs the courtroom scene from the classic 1947 movie for children at Delaware courthouses. Judge Young performed in a variety of roles, and most recently, he appeared as the psychiatrist in one of the December 2020 performances, which was held by Zoom due to the pandemic.