John Joseph Young

1923 - 2015

COL. (HON. RETIRED) JOHN JOSEPH (JACK) YOUNG,
BA, BSW, MSW,
LL.B, OStJ, CD

November 5, 1923 –
July 31, 2015

This is the family's
attempt to pay homage
to a long life well lived.

John Joseph (Jack) Young, born in Kamsack, Saskatchewan on November 5, 1923, passed away in Thunder Bay on Friday, July 31, 2015.

Through his childhood, he lived in numerous Saskatchewan communities, as his father was a railway mechanic. Finishing high school in North Battleford, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in September 1942 and served as aircraft instrument technician in England and Scotland.

Following the war, he attended the University of British Columbia on a veterans' education plan, and there he met the love-of-his-life-to-be, Anna (Anne) Dorothy Rohn, as she dished out his meals at the residence cafeteria. They married in May 1949 as Dad graduated with two degrees, one being a social work degree that led to a job in Fernie, B.C. where he subsequently was made an honorary chief of a First Nation, as a result of his work.

Meanwhile, he served in the RCAF (Auxiliary) while a full-time student, and rejoined the RCAF (Regular) in 1954 after returning from the University of London, England, where he obtained a post-graduate diploma in social work.

For the next 17 years in the Air Force, Dad's title was ASWelO (Area Social Welfare Officer). He would help Air Force personnel with personal or social problems, of which we children never were told details. But on many a Saturday, when our family was out together in the Volkswagen Beetle, we would sit in the car outside clients' homes for what seemed like hours while Dad was in there counselling them after having told us “I'll just be five minutes.” (Mum must have had the patience of Job).

Stationed in Europe from 1964 to 1969, Dad developed a keen interest in German culture and language, which continued through the decades and resulted in many friendships and return trips.

He left the RCAF (Regular) in 1970 and moved to Thunder Bay in 1971. Dad made many friends while Chief Social Worker at Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital. He had a passion for professional social work education. Jack derived a lot of pleasure in organizing and hosting parties and social events for the many groups with which he was affiliated.

Not long after moving to Thunder Bay, he joined the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves, thus beginning another long series of involvements, initiatives, commitments, enthusiasms and friendships. These included, at various times:

€ Royal Canadian Air Force Benevolent Fund
€ Co-founder of the Social Work Branch of the RCAF
€ Society of Military Social Workers
€ Co-founder of the Thunder Bay Branch of the Ontario
Association of Professional Social Workers (now OASW)
€ John Howard Society
€ Member of advisory group that was instrumental in
establishment of the Social Work Department of
Lakehead University
€ Involvement in start-up of Alpha Court Community Mental
Health Case Management
€ Defence Medical Association of Canada, Thunder Bay
Branch, Secretary/Treasurer
€ Wine-tasting evenings at the Lake Superior Scottish
Regiment and Garrison Officers' Mess
€ Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel then Honorary Colonel
of 18 Service Battalion
€ Founder and Curator of the Thunder Bay Military Museum
€ Attended many courses and conferences of the
Organization of Military Museums of Canada Inc.
€ St. John Ambulance, Thunder Bay Branch: Board of
Directors, Fund Development Committee and
Communications Chair
€ The Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of
Jerusalem: Commander (CLJ) and Member of Merit (MMLJ)
€ Other medals and decorations: Defence Medal, Canadian
Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp, War Medal 1939-1945,
Canadian Forces Decoration with Clasp
€ Vice-Chairman/Acting Chair of the Senate of 18
Service Battalion
€ Thunder Bay Military History Society
€ United Way of Thunder Bay volunteer
€ Royal Canadian Legion, Port Arthur Branch No. 5
Executive Committee
€ Chairman of the Thunder Bay District Veterans' Fund

We are sorry that, inevitably, this list is incomplete, as we cannot know all of the ways and times that Jack, our Dad, made a difference in people's lives. Jack gave time and energy to all of these causes in his modest way. He and Anne had a fridge magnet that said, “There are two kinds of people in this world: those who do the work and those who take the credit. Be one of the former.” He certainly was.

Jack was predeceased in 2011 by Anne, his devoted wife for over 62 years. He is also predeceased by his son-in-law Rob Flank; brother Gordon (and Joyce) Young and sister Noreen (and Pat) Murphy; brothers-and-sisters-in-law John (Bea) Rohn, Matt (Rose) Rohn, Carl (Helga) Rohn, Warren (Ev) Rohn; niece Bonnie Whiteley and nephew Curtis Gray.

Jack is survived by his sister Fay Sochaski and brother-in-law Ray; children Ken (Judy), Murray (Barbara), Debbie Flank; grandchildren Bill (Mandy) Flank, Jennifer (Doug) Maurice and great-grandchildren Joshua, Grace, Caitlyn and James. His special nieces and nephews include Tom (Doris) Murphy, Cathy Murphy, Diana (Kelvin) Dereski, Heather Gray, Gordon (Camille) Sochaski, Barbara (Joe) Pfeifenroth, Bruce Rohn, Elsie (Rick) Switzer, Ed (Annetta) Rohn and Bob (Sandi) Rohn.

Funeral services for John “Jack” Young will be held on Thursday, August 13, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. in the EVEREST FUNERAL CHAPEL, 299 Waverley Street at Algoma. Interment will follow in Riverside Cemetery. Visitation for family and friends will be held on Wednesday, August 12, 2015 from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. in the Everest Chapel.

A great tribute to our father, would be donations in memoriam to the newly registered charitable organization that he and other dedicated volunteers worked so hard to set up: Thunder Bay District Veterans' Fund, 229 Van Norman Street, Thunder Bay P7A 4B6. Contact: Mr. Dell R. Babcock, Secretary. tbdvf2014@gmail.com

Please sign the online condolences at everestofthunderbay.com