Obituary of George Joseph Young

JANUARY 15, 1926 –JANUARY 30, 2016 Peacefully surrounded by family, we lost a warm and wonderful man just days after celebrating his 90th Birthday with family and friends. George fought a brief but valiant fight with leukemia all the while demonstrating great dignity and humanity complemented by his trademark relentless optimism and sense of humor. His extraordinary caregivers at Regina Wascana Grace Hospice often remarked about this as well as his consistent commitment to thinking of the well-being of others before self. Survived by his three sons, Don (Alexandra) in Atlanta, Greg (Elly) in Nanaimo) and Russ (Colleen) in Calgary; grandchildren Nathan, Jennifer, Logan, Madison, Tom, Melissa and Jeremy; great grandchildren Landon, Mallory, Luke and another arriving in July; brothers and sisters, Frank (Joyce), Florence, Sylvia, Lorraine (Jack), John (Emma) and Neil (Gladys). He also left behind a prodigious number of nephews and nieces and their children that have formed many new branches of the Young family tree. George was predeceased by his parents Christian and Caroline; his brother Jack; sisters Theresa and Genevieve (Jenny) and his wife Jeanne. Born and raised on a family farm near Vibank, Saskatchewan in the heights of the Great Depression, George learned the values of a strong work ethic, family and an enduring love of the land. He left the farm to continue his education in Regina at Balfour Tech before beginning an almost 40 year career at Saskatchewan’s major utility crown corporation, SaskPower. Throughout his life, he remained dedicated to continuous improvement and learning. At SaskPower, he worked in a variety of leadership roles before finally retiring as Divisional Manager for Customer and Revenue Accounting. While working, he completed his Business Administration degree through the University of Saskatchewan. He was also an innovator, leading the development and implementation of Canada’s first multi-programming computer system for the utility industry. His technical leadership skills were also recognized by his peers as evinced in his multi-year role as Chairman of the Canadian Natural Gas Customer Administration Association. George also believed in serving the community and this included volunteering with Optimist International, a service club that focuses on “Bringing out the Best in Kids” with programs that include supporting youth athletics and public speaking. He served there in a variety of leadership roles including as President for the Regina Chapter and Lieutenant Governor for the Saskatchewan, Alberta and Montana region. George loved the outdoors as did his father, sons and grandchildren. He was an avid golfer, especially during the many post-retirement years he spent in Arizona. He also loved to fish and bird hunt, and was a wonderful mentor for this with his children, grandchildren and other youngsters. Beyond the hunt, he was an early advocate of the importance of habitat conservation for long-term societal sustainability. When not in the outdoors, George was a voracious reader and was especially interested in global economic, political and cultural issues. He sustained this interest to his last days and his boys fondly recall reading him excerpts from newspapers and online publications. Widely known and admired for his “people” skills, he thrived on being surrounded by work colleagues, friends and family, with a philosophy based on respect for people and generously supporting others, no matter their walk in life. He will be missed. A Celebration of His Life will be held at the Speers Family Center, 2333 Cornwall Street, Regina, SK on Monday, February 8, 2016 from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. with program beginning at 2:00 p.m. Flowers are most gratefully declined. Family and friends so wishing may make donations, in memoriam to The William Booth Special Care Home – Regina Wascana Grace Hospice, 50 Angus Road, Regina, Saskatchewan S4R 8P6. To leave an online message of condolence, please visit www.speersfuneralchapel.com SPEERS LOGO