Margaret Young

Margaret Labash Young, "Marge" age 98, was born on August 17, 1926, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Mary (Feltovic) Labash and George Labash, Sr. To our great sorrow, Marge passed away on February 25, 2025, in the kind care of the Minnesota Masonic Home in Bloomington, Minnesota. Despite back difficulties in recent years, she remained fully engaged and upbeat, enjoying regular visits with family and neighbor Elizabeth Carroll and hewing to her unshakeable sunny outlook: "Better days are coming."

Marge excelled at her studies, and graduated Warren Harding High School in June, 1944 with an acceptance to Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Encouraged and supported by her brother Michael and brother-in-law John Andras, Sr., she earned her B.A., Class of 1948. Eager to explore the world, from the dawn of the jet age to 2015 she travelled to dozens of countries for work and with family and friends, including every one of her son's U.S. Embassy postings - even Beijing, China (twice). Marge launched her career as a Grader at Harvard Business School from 1949 to 1952, then Science Teacher at Emma Willard School in Troy, NY for 1952 to 1953 -- counting a young Jane Fonda as her pupil -- before returning to Cambridge, Massachusetts as Secretary/Operations Researcher for the Arthur D. Little Company from 1953 to 1957. Marge met her husband Cambridge native Harold Chester Young while both were working at the Cambridge Public Library in 1957, and on June 7, 1958, the couple wed and moved to Dearborn, Michigan to complete Master's degrees in Library Science at the University of Michigan in 1960. Children Jeffery and Amy arrived shortly thereafter and the family remained in Dearborn, Michigan until Harold earned his PhD in 1975 and took up a faculty appointment as Library Director at the University of Minnesota. For over 20 years from 1965 to 1985, Marge was a Consultant, Editor, and Publisher for Gale Research Company, travelling to publishers' fairs worldwide. She opened and ran the firm's Minneapolis office from 1975 to 1981, and authored and edited at least 26 books for the firm. A career high point was her stint as Librarian at Salzburg Global Seminar in Salzburg, Austria from 1981 to 1983, meeting global leaders who conducted seminars while working and living at Schloss Leopoldskron with her family.

"A lifelong learner," Marge imparted a love for books, travel and adventure to everyone who knew her. She worked until age 85, her last position as KPMG contract librarian. As a Special Libraries Association member, she earned a Quality in Action award in 2003 for the "Kiev Connection" to donate U.S. books to Ukraine's libraries. She leaves behind circles of dear friends from work and graduate school days and family who will greatly miss her.

Marge is survived by her sister Rose Labash of Fairfield, CT, son Jeffery A. Young and his wife Gabrielle E. Chodes of Washington, DC, daughter Amy M. (Young) Rodriguez and her former husband Robert Rodriguez and granddaughter Chloe E. Rodriguez, of Miami, Florida. Survivors include beloved niece Mary Ellen Andras of New York, NY, nephew John Andras III and wife Trina (Larsen) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and niece Leslie Lee (Labash) Binam and grand-nieces Cassie and Britni Binam of Wentzville, Missouri. Marge was preceded in death by her parents and former husband Harold C. Young, her brothers Corporal Michael Labash (USMC), George Labash, Jr., John Labash, Captain Robert Labash, retired (USMC), and her sister Mary (Labash) Andras. Private family service and internment at St. John's Cemetery, Stratford, Connecticut, Adzima Funeral Home, 50 Paradise Green, Stratford, CT 06614.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cornell University Class of 1948 Scholarship Fund, in memory of Margaret L. Young at Cornell University, Division of Alumni Affairs and Development, 130 E. Seneca St., Ithaca, NY 14850. Online address: https://giving.cornell.edu/ways-to-give/class-funds/