JOANN YOUNG

YOUNG--JoAnn M. JoAnn M. Young, died Saturday, August 30th, on what would have been her 68th Wedding Anniversary. At her side was her youngest daughter, video editor and business partner. JoAnn was passionate about everything she pursued, be it family, friends or work. From her teenage years until her passing she kept journals, filled notebooks, and clipped articles of stories that captured her imagination. Raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, at 14, she met the love of her life, Paul J. Young. JoAnn and Paul married early, raised three children and in 1970 P.J.'s successful business career moved the family to NJ which was life changing for them both. JoAnn attended the Univ. of Nebraska School of Journalism in 1957 and returned to college in 1974 graduating from Montclair State, NJ. In 1977, after watching a favorite Sunday morning program, she sent a handwritten letter to the producers and received an offer to start her career in television. The show was the CBS series Camera Three, a 30 minute Peabody Award winning program that ran from 1955-1978. Over the past 40 years she wrote and produced her own specials, collaborated with various public television stations, including WNET, Great Performances, American Masters, WETA and OETA. From 1986-1990 JoAnn worked on In Performance at the White House. The Star studded programs were "exciting and challenging in equal measures." By 2018 she had produced and written over 75 programs and received her last Emmy Nomination for "Mister Rogers: It's You I Like." hosted by Michael Keaton. JoAnn and Paul spent their summers on Long Beach Island, NJ where four generations of the family gathered every summer. Annual reunions included neighborhood friends, the "Life is Good" group, and JoAnn's "Circle of Friends" from Lincoln High who kept in touch and traveled together for over 50 years. JoAnn is survived by her three children Julie Young Bensley, Paul Young and Laura Young, seven grandchildren and their spouses, nine great- grandchildren and beloved families members from Nebraska, Colorado, Texas, Arkansas and Minnesota. In her honor, donations may be made to support NYC students to attend Broadway https://www.broadwaybridges.org/