Earl Cross Young

A loving father, grandfather, husband, brother, uncle and son, Earl Young lived life well. Whatever he put his mind to, he did it carefully and excellently. He was selfless, always putting others first. He was a deep and multi-faceted man. While many people, including his own family at times, have thought of him as a worker and a practical man, rarely taking time for avocations, he possessed many qualities revealing a deeper self that were not always evident. He had, however, the ability when he let his hair down to wow his friends and family with his great sense of humor. At those times we were all amazed at the depth of the love and joy that he stored up in himself.

Anyone who knows Earl knows how gifted and intelligent he was. Many have commented, not only on his natural gifts, but also on how he applied those gifts to good purpose, to the solving of personal and family problems, and to fashioning a mind that looked out for others and demonstrated concern for the world around him. He had a prodigious breadth of knowledge, reading voraciously about history, politics and current events. He was a match for everyone when it came to discussing such matters.

He was a true patriot, dedicated to following political affairs and cultivating a civic mindset. He was a lifelong professor of business management. At times he would comment on how he was never able to thoroughly use his intellectual gifts and training as a Ph.D. to help business colleagues in other countries (notably Mexico). His purpose was to build and refine business skills in those in other countries. In this matter, I do not think anyone really knows how much he sacrificed to raise a family and work on a career that only partially satisfied him.

As a professor he was a master of solutions big and small. He was gifted with a mind, a training and his own history that developed in him both a practical and an intellectual mindset. He was blessed with an ability to survey big problems, big pictures and relevant details simultaneously.

You cannot know Earl and not know what a generous and caring man he really was. Recently, both his son and daughter have been struck by his great tenderness. We have always been impressed by how he treated others with kindness and generosity. All who know him are truly saddened by the loss of this great man, yet comforted by his great love.

He leaves behind a son, Eric; a daughter, Susan, and her husband, Keith; two grandchildren, Andrew and David; and a sister, Evangeline.

A visitation for Earl will be held Monday, August 21st, 2023, 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM at Wm. H. Scott Funeral Home, 1100 Greenleaf Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091. Interment will be private.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.WmScottFuneralHome.com for the Young family.