YOUNG, Kaye 1935-2013
YOUNG, CROSS, LAUBER, ANDERSON, SCHRYVER, COOPER, CROSS, DEWALLE, KNIGHT, HOHERZ
Posted By: Paul Nagy, volunteer (email)
Date: 4/7/2013 at 14:29:39
Kaye Young
March 26, 1935 - March 26, 2013
Kaye Young, 78, of Mason City, died on Tuesday, March 26, 2013, at his home. He was a longtime instructor at North Iowa Area Community College.
Kaye was born on March 26, 1935, in Waterloo, to Glenn and Marlys (Cross) Young. He graduated from Waterloo East High School in 1953, having been co-captain and state runner-up for the state championship Trojan Wrestling Team. He attended Iowa State Teacher’s College (now UNI) where he wrestled for one year. As a portrait of things to come, while studying at ISTC, he met the first love of his life, Susan Lauber.
At about that time, the dean of the college strongly suggested that both he and ISTC might be happier if he joined the Navy; Kaye listened. He was an early data processor for the Navy by day and defended the beaches of San Diego from the communist menace by night. By the end of his service, Kaye and ISTC agreed that he should return; he did. He earned a Bachelor’s degree and would later go on to earn a Master’s degree from the same institution. In 1957, he married Susan.
Kaye taught and coached at Maquoketa High School where he compiled an impressive dual record. He moved on to Wartburg College before being asked to begin a brand-new wrestling program at NIACC. An immediate success under Kaye’s leadership, NIACC’s program became and remained for several years one of the top junior college wrestling programs in the country.
In 1973, Kaye’s team went on to win the NJCAA National Championship, and he was named Coach of the Year. Unfortunately, budget constraints ended the wrestling program and his coaching career at NIACC. Nevertheless, he remained at NIACC for many years following his coaching days, moving from the counseling office into the classroom. Kaye loved teaching and positively impacted the lives of the students who entered his classroom. Honored, he was inducted into the East Waterloo, UNI Athletic, IHSAA wrestling, and NJCAA Halls of Fame.
Even after his athletics and coaching ended, Kaye continued to be physically active. He worked out, ran, or walked daily for most of his life and regularly participated in road races. He also regularly swam and lifted weights at NIACC or the YMCA.
An avid reader, Kaye also exercised his mind. He read multiple newspapers every day and at least one book a week. He also wrote poetry and did the daily crossword and jumble puzzle.
Kaye had many interests in his life including a life-long love of the theatre. He and Susan travelled to New York many times to see the shows both on and off Broadway. An active member of the Mason City Community Theater for over forty years, he both acted in and directed their productions. Thankfully for everyone involved, few of his roles included any singing. He also served a number of terms on the MCCT Board of Directors. He appeared as Mortimer in “The Fantastiks” on three different occasions because he loved the show so much.
A modern-day vagabond, he traveled often with his lifelong friends, Gary Oliver and Dick Schinnow. They joined the circus where they learned to swallow fire, traveled as hobos on freight trains to the Pacific and back, and enjoyed many motorcycle trips across the country. Susan was a very patient woman.
NIACC was Kaye’s family. He attended most of the games with Susan and his colleagues. (They were free after all.) A constant presence after retiring, he would pester Dan Mason with many suggests on how to improve NIACC’s fortunes for the future.
Kaye and Susan had three sons: Mark, Matthew, and Michael. Eventually, Kaye had thirteen grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. After Susan lost her battle with cancer, Kaye met the second great love of his life, Karen White. She became a part of his family, and they all became a part of hers as well. He often commented about how he had the love of two great women whom he didn’t deserve. Nobody ever corrected him.
Although he struggled with alcohol addiction late in his life, Kaye made many friends through AA and was involved with the Unitarian Universalist organization, organizing and badgering people to be part of those interesting programs.
Kaye is preceded in death by his parents, Glenn and Marlys Young; his sister, Karen Anderson; and his wife, Susan Young.
Kaye is survived by his long-time partner and love in life, Karen White; his children, Mark (Lorrie) Young, of Mason City, Michael (Karen) Young, of Dayton, Iowa, and Matthew (Teresa) Young, of Mound, Minnesota; his grandchildren, Ashley (Andy) Schryver, Kallie (Brandon) Cooper, and Christopher, Reyna, Jordan, Matthew, Gabrielle, Alexander, Adam (Melissa), Brandon, Nathan, Sabrina, and Paige Young; and great-grandchildren, Zoey Schryver, Gavin Cooper, and Stefan, Jalen, and Jordaja Young; his four aunts, Elaine Cross, Glendola DeWalle, Chleo Cross, and Lavona Knight; one niece, Amy Hoherz; and one nephew, Tim Anderson. He will be missed by all of his family and friends.
A celebration of Kaye’s life will be held at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, April 6, 2013, at the Activity Center on the North Iowa Area Community College campus. A gathering for family and friends will be held in conjunction with the celebration from 1:00-3:00 p.m., Kaye’s daughter-in-law, the Rev. Dr. Karen Young, of the Dayton/Harcourt United Methodist Church, the officiating master of ceremonies. All who knew and loved Kaye are welcome to join in a time of fellowship, laughing, joking, and telling stories. Inurnment will be in Riverside Cemetery, Charles City, at a later date. Condolences may be shared with the family at www.Fullertonfh.com .
In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the NIACC Scholarship Fund.
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