Hewitt Hartley Young passed away peacefully at age 91, on Monday, February 2, 2015. Professor emeritus of Industrial Engineering at ASU, and former department chair, Hewitt was a leader, a true intellect who made noteworthy contributions to his university and profession, as well as to family, friends, employers, and
country.
He was a beloved husband, brother, father, grandfather, great grandfather, and uncle. He had a great smile and was a demonstrated man of character who always found a way to convey kindness and cheerfulness. The elder of two children born to Herbert Robinson Young and the former Ruth Hartley in Willoughby, Ohio, on May 16, 1923, Hewitt moved with his family to Cleveland Heights, Ohio, where his father was an Associate Professor of English at Case School of Applied Science (now Case School of Engineering); his mother was an elementary school teacher. As a boy Hewitt was an excellent student but also enjoyed baseball and tennis; he was a fan of the Cleveland Indians. He was also proficient on both piano and violin.
Hewitt attended Cleveland Heights High School and excelled in academics, including math and science, while playing varsity tennis. He graduated with honors from Case in Mechanical Engineering in August 1944, where he had enrolled in the V-12 Navy Reserve unit during WWII. Following graduation, he attended the US Naval Academy in Annapolis for V-7 midshipmen, where he completed the rigorous 90-day “wonder” training program and was awarded an ensign’s commission. He served a total of 31 months of active satisfactory service, including assignments on the USS La Salle (AP-102) transport ship and the USS Brennan (DE-13) Evarts-class destroyer escort.
While stationed in Miami Beach, Florida, he married Beatrice Hynes on June 8, 1945.
He achieved the final rank of LTJG, USNR before concluding his military service. After the war he was an engineer at General Electric and later with the Thompson Products Jet Propulsion Laboratory while earning a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering at Case. He served on the faculty of Industrial Engineering at Purdue University in 1953 as an assistant professor and was promoted to associate professor in 1956. In 1960 he was appointed full professor and later assistant head of Purdue’s School of Industrial Engineering. While at Purdue he earned his Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from ASU and, in 1966, moved his family to Scottsdale after accepting a position as Professor of Industrial Engineering at ASU; he was appointed chair of the department. Hewitt was a Fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers (formerly AIIE) and served on the Board of Trustees first as Vice President of Education and Student Affairs and later Vice President of Publications.
He retired from ASU in 1988 and pursued many interests, including music; he was a violinist for the Scottsdale Symphony Orchestra for many years.
Hewitt is survived by his loving wife Beatrice, of Scottsdale; sons David (wife Nancy) of Madison, WI; William (wife Cyrene) of El Segundo, CA; Gary (wife Maria) of Scottsdale; John of Scottsdale; and Russell (wife Andrea) of Newport Beach, CA; his daughter-in-law Jenny Mueller of St. Louis, MO; and brother Gordon (wife Carolyn) of Stow, OH. He is also survived by his grandchildren Alec, Allesandra, Austin, Avery, Mariel, Matthew, Myra, Savannah, Stephen, and Tess, as well as his great grandchildren Caitlyn, Cassie, Mason, and Sayward. His parents and his son Brian preceded him in death.
A celebration of Hewitt’s life will be held on Friday, February 20, 2015, from 11:00 a.m. to noon at Messinger Indian School Mortuary, 7601 E. Indian School Rd., with burial service later in the day at 2:30 p.m. at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, located at 23029 North Cave Creek Rd., Phoenix. In lieu flowers, contributions can be made to Arizona State University Foundation. Arrangements entrusted to Messinger Indian School Mortuary.
