Angela Josephine Young

Angela Josephine Young

Angela Josephine Young (née Attfield) was born in Taplow, a small town just west of London, England, on December 9th, 1956. She was an only child, born to her father Lawrence Attfield and her mother Anne Josephine “Josie” Chalker. She was very close to her father and some of her most happy memories were caravanning with her cousin David Ford, who, with his wife Clare, remained a good friend until the end. While Angela’s parents anticipated that she would become a secretary, she surprised everyone by setting her sights on becoming an RN. She applied to nursing school and was accepted in to the prestigious Guy’s Hospital School of Nursing in London.

 There she met her lifelong friends, Ruth Cockburn and Cynthia McVey, with whom she shared a flat. It was there that she also met her future husband, Martin, who was a medical student at the hospital who lived in the flat below. After graduation, Angela trained as a midwife in Southampton, where she met another lifelong friend, Jill, before working in London she met yet another lifelong friend, Crystal “Crys” Oldman. Angela’s friends were a significant part of her life, and the friendships she carried with her through the years and across countries is a testimony to the love she had for them and the value she placed in close friendships, treating them more like a sisterhood. 

It’s rare to have friendships that span decades, and if this is any indication of how loved - and loving - she was, Angela had several. Angela married Martin in 1980 and the two eventually bought their first home together in Canterbury. Later they had two children, both born in Wales, Cassandra Louise and Alyssa Jane. In 1989, the family emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts, USA, so that Martin could take a fellowship at Children’s Hospital. Angela sat the necessary exams to allow her to practice as an RN and became a home health nurse, then later managed Martin’s private practice, before becoming a case coordinator for Medicaid. The family moved to Louisiana in 1996, became naturalized citizens, and remained there until the time of her death on June 15, 2025. She made many good lifelong friends in Louisiana, including Michelle Chappetta, Linda Simeon and Malcolm & Cindy O’Hara. Finally settling in Bastrop, LA for the last 12 years, she made many new friends especially in the Melange and Garden Clubs, who remember her for her sweet disposition and wicked sense of humor. Angela was an excellent wife and mother who gave her children all the unconditional love they could have ever asked for — love she did not receive in the same way as a child. Her strength, love and ability to break family cycles are just a part of what made her a brilliant mother. 

Angela loved string guitar music, British murder mysteries, and her loyal companion, her beautiful white lab, Jessie. Angela’s Sunday roasts were beyond compare, and from scones to plum pudding, she was a master at making the most mouth watering traditional British dishes. Angela also traveled the world, visiting places as far away as Corfu (where she had her honeymoon), Cyprus, Spain and Hong Kong, but her favorite trips were defined by the presence of her friends and loved ones.Angela spent her life caring for others and building the family she wished she had as a child. And she did a dang good job at it. She was beautiful, selfless, and had a smile that could light up a room. Always effortlessly styled and put together, you’d never guess her favorite place was on a Florida beach, ice cold Corona - or better yet, a large gin and tonic - in hand. 

Have one for her and toast her memory - she’ll likely be cheersing you back from the other side. She leaves behind her husband of 45 years, Dr. Martin Young of Bastrop, Louisiana and her two adult children, Cassandra Wood of Atlanta, GA and Dr. Alyssa Young of New Orleans, LA, as well as her son-in-law, Chad Wood and two grandchildren, Hazel Wood and Maximilian Wood, all of whom will miss her dearly.