Sylvia Young — the first woman elected to the Pasco County Commission — has passed away.
She will be remembered at a “Gathering of Friends” on June 16, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Dan Cannon Auditorium, at 36722 State Road 52, in Dade City.
Young served on the county board from Nov. 18, 1980 and re-elected to subsequent terms until she retired on Nov. 21, 2000.
Much changed during her tenure on the board, but one of her most obvious achievements involved championing the $2.3 million restoration of the Historic Pasco County Courthouse.
The distinctive building sits in the middle of a town square, at Seventh Street and Meridian Avenue, in the heart of downtown Dade City.
In addition to advocating the structure’s renovation — which included stripping away additions that had been constructed through the years, Young also played a significant role in choosing the furnishings for the restored building.
The project was a success and led to the courthouse being listed on the National Register of Historic Places on Sept. 20, 2006.
A marker on the building, dedicated to Young, credits her for vision and commitment. In part, it reads: ”With great appreciation for your dreams, efforts, and dedication to the major role you played to keep history alive with the preservation of this historic courthouse.”
When Young stepped away from her elected post, she described the courthouse project as her “crowning glory.”
The building continues to play an integral role in the county, with the board rotating its meetings between its meeting room there and one in a more modern government center building in New Port Richey.
The county board has its sessions on both sides of the county to make it easier for people to participate in public meetings.
News of Young’s death was shared on the Pasco County Government facebook page and circulated by its communications team.
On its page, the county offered these words, at the commissioner’s passing: “We are grateful for Commissioner Young’s leadership and will forever remember her lasting impact and dedicated service to Pasco County.”
An obituary, published by Hodges Family Funeral Home & Cremation Center, offers a glimpse into the late commissioner’s personal and professional qualities.
Miller, a lifelong resident of Darby, was 83 at the time of her death on June 7, according to the funeral home’s obituary.
She was the daughter of J.D. Miller and Hattie Bellamy Miller, a farming family who instilled in her a hard work ethic, dedication and love of family, and pride in her heritage, the obituary said.
She was known “as an impeccably dressed and beautiful woman with a feisty, outgoing, quick witted and determined personality, as noted by a close family friend and relative, Howard Bellamy,” in the obituary.
Besides serving on the county board, she also served on the Pasco County Fair Board for 40 years, the obituary added. She also was an active member of the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village for years.
Her survivors include her son, H.C. Young (Trish); a daughter, Mary (Mud) Lane; three grandchildren, Clint Young, Whitney Willis and Dakota Young; and, several great-grandchildren.
Published June 15, 2022
