Kenneth Bradford "Skip" Youngdahl

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Skip Youngdahl 90, of Mebane, NC passed away on March 14, 2026 and was born in North Attleboro, Massachusetts on Christmas Day in 1935. His first romance with airplanes began as an eight year old when he would cut out the model airplanes on the Kellogg’s Pep cereal box and hang them from the ceiling in his bedroom. He had quite a collection of WWII aircraft.

As a twelve year old he would ride his bicycle out to Wilkins Airport in Plainville to watch the planes take off and land. But times were tough for his family and the joy of a ride would never happen.

Still entranced with airplanes at eighteen, he joined the U.S. Air Force in February of 1955. He served in the Air Force from 1955 to 1967 working his way up through the ranks from being an aircraft mechanic to earning the gold bars and then the silver wings of an Air Force pilot. He flew C-124s in and out of Viet Nam during the early 1960’s and was awarded several medals and many citations during his military career. He always stayed in touch with members of his USAF Officer Candidate Class and USAF Pilot Training class. Skip was instrumental in their reunions by maintaining a website for each of the classes.

Skip began his TWA training on May 5, 1967. Like all flight engineers of the time he bounced around the system from airplane to airplane and domicile to domicile. He flew the 707, 727 and L-1011 as an engineer being domiciled in Los Angeles, San Francisco, St. Louis and temporarily in New York and even a short stay with Saudia in Jeddah. When better times came he flew First Officer on the 767 and then Captain on the DC-9/MD-80 in St. Louis. He took early retirement at age 55 on August 1, 1991 and moved to Mebane, NC to be near his daughter Donna and her family.

He was a member of the Air Line Pilots Assn., TARPA and the TWA Seniors Club. Skip was a man who never lacked for an interest in his retirement years. He was a long time member of the Mustang Club of America where he was a Gold Card Judge. He enjoyed restoring early Ford Mustangs, adventure traveling around the world and had visited all seven continents. He enrolled in several community college courses taking courses ranging from website design to interior decorating to notary public. He designed and maintained a website for himself and his family’s personal use as well as a website for his USAF OCS Class and USAF Pilot Training Class. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Mebane, NC. At age 69 Skip was given an ultimatum by his wife to take up golf and so learned all the fun he had been missing. Together they enjoyed many golf vacations at courses around the world.

Survivors include his wife, Nancy, two daughters, Donna Maskill and Deborah Youngdahl, his sister Karolyn McNamara, four grandsons, Nancy’s four children, ten grandchildren, nine great grandchildren and a host of friends. All who knew him for his genial personality as well as his dedication to his profession will remember him fondly.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday March 26, 2026 at the McClure Funeral Home Chapel in Mebane with Dr. Terry Farmer officiating. The family will receive friends following the service at the funeral home on Thursday. The burial with Military Rites will be held at 12:30 PM on Friday March 27, 2026 at the Salisbury National Cemetery Annex.