William Anderson Young
1918 - 2013
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of William (Bill) Young at the age of 94.
Bill was born in 1918 in his grandparents' home on the north half of 19,8,2, west of the 2nd, near Carlyle, Saskatchewan. He grew up on his parents' farm, also near Carlyle, with five younger brothers and one younger sister. During those years, William (as he was always called at home, Willie to his friends) played ball in the summer and curled and skated in winter and farmed with his Dad.
When he was 21, Bill married Earla DeGeer and they bought the home farm from Bill's grandmother and moved into the house where Bill had been born. Over the next few years, he purchased more land, had two daughters, bought a cottage at Carlyle Lake (now White Bear), curled in the winter and played ball in the summer.
When Bill was in his 29th year, the family moved to town, first to temporary quarters for a year or two then to First St. East (right across from the old rink) where their big farm home had been moved.
Over a number of years, along with farming, curling and taking up golf, Bill was a Wheat Pool Delegate, a Justice of the Peace, Coroner, Treasurer for the Carlyle United Church, Overseer at the White Bear Lake resort and a delegate of the Saskatchewan Curling Association. He spent hours at the old rink in Carlyle and then at the new curling rink and contributed to many other community projects.
Bill was a natural athlete and throughout the years collected a roomful of curling and golfing trophies. At age 35 he skipped the Young family rink that won the Car 'Spiel in Nipawin, bringing home four cars.
In later years, Bill was devoted to his growing family and loved to travel. He continued to golf and added cycling and cross-country skiing to his list of activities. In his early 60s, he and Earla explored a number of southern destinations in the winter until discovering Lake Havasu, Arizona, a lovely desert town that became their winter home for many years - and where they made many great friends and memories.
When Bill was 72 he had a heart attack but recovered well and led a full, happy life for many years after that. Even with his diagnosis of COPD 5 or 6 years ago, he was not defeated but instead showed his indomitable spirit, renovating their home to allow him to live there until a few months before his death and becoming an expert in oxygen management and computer use. Until the day he died, when Bill wasn't able to see us in person, he enriched our lives with insightful, caring and often dryly humorous e-mail messages.
We will miss him, our husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend but take comfort in our knowledge that he both found joy in and brought joy to this world.
Bill was predeceased by his father, Archie; his mother, Maisie; brothers, Howard, Wesley, Lorne and Ralph; and niece, Judy.
Bill leaves to mourn his wife, Earla DeGeer Young; daughters and sons-in-law, Wilma and Raymond Lothian and Elaine and Harry Porter; Grandsons and granddaughters-in-law, Brent and Jacky Lothian, Steven Lothian and Laurie Day, and Michael and Colleen Lothian; great- grandchildren, Breanne Lothian, Austin Lothian, Bailey Lothian, Coleman Lothian and Chantal Day; brother, Ronald; sister, Velma; sisters-in-law, Audrey, Val and June and many loved cousins, nieces and nephews.
A memorial service was held in Bill's honour on February 11th at the Carlyle United Church, officiated by Reverend Sung Shim and overseen by Orsted's Funeral Home. Internment is planned for the spring.
The family is grateful to the community of Carlyle, as well as family and friends elsewhere, for their overwhelming support in the form of visits, hugs, phone calls, on-line greetings, cards, gifts of flowers and food and generous donations to the memorial fund. Thank you as well to Reverend Sung and Orsted's for their guidance and assistance.
Earla, Wilma, Elaine
and families
