Eric Daniel Young

Eric Daniel Young of Baltimore, Maryland, passed away at age 78 on February 3, 2024, after an illness of some weeks. He was born on July 9, 1945, to Simon Leroy and Dorothy Dysart Young, in Elko, Nevada. The Youngs were cattle ranchers, but Eric wanted a vocation that did not involve riding a horse. Consistent with his building a radio and a rudimentary computer from scratch as a teen, he decided to study electrical engineering at the California Institute of Technology, and then the physiology of hearing as a graduate student in Biomedical Engineering (BME) at the Johns Hopkins University.

Eric met Pamela Perkins during their college days in southern California, and they were married on New Year’s Eve, 1965. To them were born two sons, Brian and Thayer. 

After postdoctoral work at the University of Chicago, Eric returned as faculty to Hopkins BME, where he spent the rest of his career. He dedicated his research as a hearing scientist to understanding how sound is transmitted to and processed by the brain. A gifted teacher, he inspired hundreds of students with his love of science, exacting standards, and wry sense of humor.

He served as the Director of Hopkins’s Center for Hearing and Balance and the founding editor of the Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology. He was also a visiting professor at the University of California in 1991, during which time he and Pamela fell in love with the relaxed atmosphere and natural beauty of the San Francisco Bay Area. After his retirement in 2015, they spent seven winters there.

Eric was predeceased by his parents, and is survived by his wife Pamela, sons Brian (Stephanie Strait) of Richmond, Indiana, and Thayer (Elisabeth Glowatzki) of Baltimore, sister Sidnie (Bruce) Miller of Elko, Nevada, and nephews Simon, Derek, and Evan Miller and their families. 

Eric's generosity as a teacher and sponsor impacted many early-career scientists and trainees. He mentored the first student with hearing loss at Hopkins BME, setting a new standard for inclusion. In lieu of flowers, please make a tax deductible donation at https://secure.jhu.edu/form/BME, choose in the drop-down menu ‘Other- please specify’, and type ‘IMO E. Young for T. Ratnanather’. To honor the legacy of Dr. Young, all gifts that come in will support trainees with hearing loss as they pursue their dreams in science and medicine, under the direction of Dr. Tilak Ratnanather.

Private interment was at Serenity Ridge Natural Burial Cemetery. 

Memorial service details: Gather at 11 AM on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at Stony Run Friends Meeting, 5116 N Charles St, Baltimore. This will be a hybrid meeting for those who cannot attend in person; Zoom link is https://bit.ly/EYoungMemorial (Meeting ID: 886 3991 5931, Passcode: 21210)

See the map at the bottom of this page for the location of the reception following the memorial service, and for information about parking.