Gary John Sinclair Young

11th February 1959 – 8th January 2013

Our family would like to thank all those wonderful people who rang, visited, sent a card, emailed, entered a heartfelt message online, attended Gary's funeral (in either Canada or Australia), or who watched his Canadian service online. We were so pleased to hear your stories of good times shared with Gary. The legacy of your experiences adds to the memories we cherish of Gary's life and what he has meant to us all.

GARY THE BOY

Gary John Sinclair Young, son of Gloria and Ross, was born on the 11th February 1959 in Mildura, Victoria, Australia. Roslyn and Lynette still recall the excitement of the day he came home from hospital and dad was relieved of the painful task (for us) of plaiting our hair.

With two older sisters – Roslyn being 7 years older and Lynette, 4 years older - Gary was a happy little boy, content to have his pretty blond hair put in curlers and join in all the games Roslyn would invent for us (with her in the lead role of course) ….. until he began to explore his world and discovered that there were lots of other boys just a few houses away. Our house was like a kindergarten, a magnet for the neighbourhood boys, all around the same age. Gary always loved to play.

GARY THE YOUTH

When our family moved from Mildura, to Morwell in the Latrobe Valley at the end of 1966, Gary had just finished Grade 2. He did not settle well or enjoy his years at Primary School. Gary found being a Policeman’s son in an all boys Secondary School, in an industrial township, very challenging. Matters were eventually resolved though, when for the first and last time, our gentle giant sorted out a bully with a well placed facer. In that case, his teacher later told mum and dad, the punishment really did fit the crime. Gary always had a strong sense of justice and stood up for the ‘underdog’ throughout his life. Family and friends were his first priority.

GARY THE CAREER EXPLORER

Mum and dad recognised early on that Gary was a ‘natural’ in so many areas - cricket, tennis, golf and Aussie Rules!! His creative / artistic side was also very strong, so he attended Morwell Technical School to study Art with the aim of becoming an Art Teacher. Both Roslyn and Lynette had left our home in the country at 18yo to study teaching in Melbourne. Perhaps he was also hoping to spread his wings in the same way.

Gary researched all the Old Masters in painting, emulating Van Gogh and Picasso. He could mould a lump of clay into amazing likenesses and one of his more impressionistic works was bought by a local Federal Minister. Gary continued to dabble in painting at odd times throughout his life, often doing portraits of friends.

To become accredited as a Technical School teacher, Gary needed to gain both trade and teaching qualifications. In the Latrobe Valley at that time, the major employer was the State Electricity Commission (SEC – sometimes referred to as 'Slow Easy & Comfortable'). As a young man raised in a Protestant household, with parents who engendered a strong work ethic and a father in law enforcement, he was shocked by the union workers’ attitudes around him.

Gary however, threw himself into his ‘Painting & Decorating’ apprenticeship, earning the State’s top Apprentice of the Year award (1977). The title of his work in this field, does not describe the often filthy and dangerous jobs he did, climbing chimney stacks and working inside small spaces. After one very lucky escape from inside a boiler he was refurbishing, Gary decided to tackle something new. He was always one to keep an eye out for opportunities and was not afraid to take a risk to better himself.

Still within the SEC, Gary became a Tour Guide at the Latrobe Valley Coal Mine Visitors Centre, in Morwell. You can imagine how he entertained visitors to the Latrobe Valley, using his legendary charm, sense of humour and knowledge of his role, to give them all a great experience.

Further moves into the Sales and Payments arm of the SEC, saw him travelling Gippsland as a reliever in their country Offices. When the SEC eventually shut down this part of their business, Gary took the opportunity to retrain as a Technical Officer – designing street lighting systems required, as building in the Latrobe Valley was booming.

After a move to Melbourne, Gary became interested in computers. A mate he met along the way taught him how to put components together and take them apart to maximise performance and achieve the desired configuration. From then on, Gary’s agile and inquiring mind took over as he explored, to discover their full potential.

It’s funny how one thing leads to another. Gary’s mate Peter Docking, later urged him to interview for an SAP training opportunity in New Zealand. Despite Gary’s lack of formal qualifications, he impressed them we presume with his: attitude to life; career flexibility to date; eagerness to travel; his investigative mind; and his clear thinking approach.

Who would have imagined that the young Tradesman from Morwell, would one day become a very successful ‘Principal Consultant and Device Manager’ with a Global Company like SAP ? From humble beginnings our Gary has travelled and worked all over the world - New Zealand, Asia, the United Kingdom, the United States of America (eventually gaining the long awaited 'Green Card') and to establish his home-base twelve years ago in White Rock, Canada.

GARY THE ATHLETE

Blessed with a strong physique, a love of competition and very talented as an ‘all-rounder’ in any sport he tried, Gary showed great sportsmanship. He earned a number of significant achievements over his years living in the Latrobe Valley. Gary was selected as a Junior Footballer to represent the Gippsland Region in the School Boys’ State-wide Competition and was later invited to attend the Hawthorn training Camp. For many years he played for Morwell Youth Club where his team would remain on top through the year, but then lose in the finals. This early training in defeat, supported him later when his favorite Australian Rules Football Team, Collingwood - sadly ended the same way for many years. Recently though, he eagerly collected numerous items of memorabilia to celebrate the 'Magpies', 2010 Grand Final win.

With two of his life-long mates Peter Flaherty and Trevor Allen, Gary won the Latrobe Valley Tennis Association, Men’s ‘A’ Grade Premiership in 1982-83. Along with another mate Gerhard Giedrojc this team enjoyed a long run of success. At that time, mum and dad recall Neil Fraser (Australian Davis Cup Coach) encouraging Gary to think about turning professional.

Gary also loved playing cricket with Jerome Foenander, who later also moved to Canada, just a ferry ride away from Gary. But, it was tennis and golf that were his passion and in which he truly excelled. Settling in White Rock, he greatly valued the tennis tuition of Josef Brabenec, who also became a great friend. Together they discussed what could have been Gary’s next change of career, as a coach and marketer of his latest brilliant idea - ‘Yips Fix’ - designed and perfected by Gary to deliver accurate, stress-free putting. He was so confident he was on a winner with that one !

GARY THE TEACHER

Gary made his first trip overseas with Karl Boessen (sporting a very trendy perm) when he was 19. They travelled to the UK where he first met some of our wonderful English relatives and then to Holland where he met Karl’s family. A later trip with Peter Flaherty was a Kon-Tiki camping adventure that really challenged our comfort-loving young boy. He always did have his standards and liked a nice warm bed.

These early trips abroad however, had whetted Gary’s appetite for working overseas. When he eventually left home for the big wide world, he gave mum and dad their first computer. Knowing that he was not a letter writer, the computer became our family link with Gary, as he was often on the move with work. The development of Skype allowed him to share in what was going on at home – especially since mum and dad bought an iPad earlier this year.

Gary spent time making screen captures with directions and arrows to describe the various processes mum and dad needed to use on the computer. Now their mid 80’s, our parents are very handy and can scan and attach the daily Code Word Puzzle to us all. While he didn’t end up being a Technical School Art Teacher, Gary certainly enjoyed sharing his knowledge & experience and helping others.

GARY THE BUILDER OF DREAMS

Dad has always been quite the handy man and enjoys making home improvements. Our family often used to call in at Display homes on our way back from Melbourne, to check out the latest home ideas. Gary’s first house renovation in Morwell saw a lot of action: he polished the floorboards; installed a new kitchen (one of the many deals he always seemed to be able to pull off); totally repainted throughout; re-sited a cabin out the back; and cleaned & painted the terracotta roof tiles. Gary was not afraid of hard work and developed many skills along the way. He was a perfectionist on the job so that ‘Near enough was never good enough’, whether it be work or play – Gary always did his best.

Again, always one to search out a good deal, Gary was also keen to buy land in great locations. The house did not matter so much and over time he was able to make some alterations to his Mornington (Australian) and White Rock (Canadian) properties. As you can imagine Gary had plans aplenty and was looking forward to realising the magnificent designs that whirled around in his head.

GARY THE CHARMER

Gary’s cheeky, flirtatious manner, probably got him into trouble as well as out of it I’m sure. While he never married, Gary did have several long term relationships in Australia and one in Canada. My apologies for not mentioning names in fear of leaving someone out !!

Gary enjoyed the company of women and was a very, very, very generous man. He was a man looking for love, but one who also enjoyed the peace and privacy of having his own space. To all the ladies he has loved and who have loved him in return, we thank you.

Gary also charmed and really bonded with children – still being a big kid himself I suppose - making them laugh, playing games, bringing back gifts from overseas, challenging Jackson (17) to research & solve sporting puzzles and generally having lots of fun. Life was never dull when Gary was around.

GARY THE MATE

Gary’s family and his mates were very, very, very important to him. His annual trips back to Australia had to include a wide range of catch ups. Long standing friendships continued over the years, as if they’d never been apart. Gary was often the instigator of mischief and enjoyed ‘stirring the pot’. However he also enjoyed having deep and meaningful discussions, with grateful reflections on life over a good meal and a beer – and a smoke too I’d have to admit !!

Gary has always been so proud of his niece and two nephews – Trina and Cameron (Roslyn & Graeme’s children) grew up half a continent away in PNG, relocating to Townsville to begin schooling. His other much loved nephew Jared (Lynette's son) grew up close by in Traralgon.

Trina and her husband Aaron enjoyed the opportunity to get to know Gary more, when they spent a year or so in England, while Gary was working in Cambridge. Roslyn’s daughter Trina, is now the mother or two beautiful little girls (Grace -3 and Isabelle 3 months) and Roslyn’s son Cameron, is a father to Jean who has just turned one. It was so wonderful that Gary stopped off in Brisbane on his way back to Canada in November last year. He was able to meet and cuddle all the new editions to the family, amazed at how marvellous and clever these little people are.

My son Jared and his wife Kristy stayed with Gary for a month last year, when Gary was almost back on deck after his leg operation. Not yet able to play golf at that time, Gary took Jared on night time adventures … hunting ….. golf balls - you should see his collection !! Living in the same town while Jared was growing up, their bond was very close, both having a similar sense of the ridiculous and love of sport.

Many times over the years, Gary commented on how well his niece and two nephews, had each chosen their life partners – Aaron, Mary and Kristy.

Our family is so very thankful that Gary had just been home in November for the wedding of his good mate Trevor Allen. We did all the normal things - played cards with mum and dad (mum won!), we laughed, he cooked his famous spicy lamb chops for us, we laughed, he played with my little dog Clive, we laughed.

Thank you Gary for being such a wonderful part of our family and our lives.

.........................................................

CANADIAN FUNERAL SERVICE EULOGIES:

EULOGY - Trina Wholohan (Gary's niece - online Tribute)

My Dear Uncle Gary,

You were the life of every party.

You had the amazing ability to always make me smile (even when I was determined to be in the worst of moods-not an easy thing to do I tell you!)

You loved and accepted us all, including the in-laws we choose for you. Aaron always felt you were his Uncle as well - or maybe a great mate to play with ? :)

You loved your Great Nieces, and they in turn loved their “Great Gary”.

It is such a lovely quality you had to tell people what like about them. A trait you inherited from your beautiful Mum and Dad, one that I will always remember about you, and I must put into practice myself.

You lived a wonderful life, your life, in a way that you wanted: living it to the fullest every day; never wasting a minute; enjoying every moment.

We will continue living our lives, missing you every day, yet knowing that we are truly blessed for having had your influence in our lives.

We will never laugh so much, as we did when you were with us. XXXX

.........................................................

Gaz’s EULOGY – Jerome Foenander (Aussie Mate living in Canada)

It is with the greatest honor and humbling sadness that I share some of my recollections of my great mate Gary. Gaz and I have been mates for the last 35+ years. Even though he was from Morwell (the next town up the road from us) we, his Traralgon mates were quick to welcome this bloke into our group. I well remember meeting him for the first time.

He was playing Footy for Morwell U/18’s against my town. Gaz was one of the stars, a blond Adonis, roaming around the field and doing pretty much what he liked. After the game, Gaz, who was class mates with a mate of ours, stayed in Traralgon and went out with us. From that day a friendship was formed.

As it turned out Gaz actually knew my dad and over the years Gaz became solid friends with my family as I did with his. The thing about him was that he really valued his ‘band of brothers,’ his mates and their families. Loyalty was paramount to him and over the years we were able to share many joyous moments together as well as far too many moments of sheer boyhood devilry, some that lasted well into our adult lives.

Gaz lived large, from early on I was for the most part a willing partner for many of his pranks and his plans. I remember one Sunday in our late teens, the only place open was Morwell ten pin bowling. Now we had a very drunken Saturday night and we wanted a relaxing afternoon… unfortunately in the lane next to ours were a group of delightful young ladies. It became Gary’s and my job to impress them. Gary had the chat and I had the goofy moves. Well it wasn’t going so well until Gaz decided to spice things up by pulling down my sweat pants, just as I was about to deliver the bowl. After the laughter subsided we did (well he did) manage to get phone numbers. In fact he pulled the same trick again a few years later to another mate of ours. I sure hope he grew out of that trick here in Canada but I suspect he didn’t.

In our early twenties Gary and I were the best man and groomsman for another mate’s wedding. Terry, the groom and I were very nervous, not Gaz, he joked and did Liberace jokes pre ceremony and calmed us down considerably. Now the reception was a hoot. It was at a very flash hotel in downtown Melbourne. Together we wowed the wedding guests with mindless banter, we had to as Gaz had hidden my speech as prank. As the night was drawing to a close, we (thanks to Gaz ) had assembled quite a harem of friends and young ladies around us. Gaz knew that the night couldn’t end there. Now downtown nightclubs in Melbourne were notoriously hard to get into in those years, the line ups were legendarily long. Gaz thought about it and said “I’ll be back in sec”. The next thing I saw him chatting to the concierge of the hotel and saw him pointing to me. After a flurry of conversation, he came back and announced to the now interested group that we were going to ‘The Grainstore’, one of the premier night spots and not only that, he and I were getting free drink cards. This was too good to be true, “Mate how did you work that” I queried.

“Well” said Gaz, a wicked grin spreading across his face, “I told the bloke that you are the nephew of the crown prince of Dubai and that we have just been to Flemington Races, where your uncle’s horse ran. All you have to do is talk in an accent all night.” We had a ball.

There are so many great times we shared, way too many for this brief recollection. Like all great friendships, we laughed, cried and at times disagreed, but always respected each other. When we talked on the phone, you’d always finish with “love you brother” and that’s what our friendship was like. I alluded early to how he adored his mates and catching up with them. Over the years Gary would always find time to phone or come over and see me and the rest of his long-time friends. There were many conversations over a whisky or two about how ‘mateship’ could never be replaced. He would always tell me and I suspect many of you, how much he admired what we had done in our lives and careers, but in reality it was he who had risen from the life of an outstanding painter in the SEC, to the heights of a sort after IT consultant.

Two days ago I was reading a poem to my grade 6 students and I thought of you Gaz, with apologies to Robert Frost, I’d like to finish with these few lines:

“Two roads diverged in the woods,

Gaz you always took the one less travelled

and that made all the difference”

RIP in my Dear Mate.

........................................................................

EULOGY – Aaron Gerhman (Canadian Mate)

Oral presentation re the influence and impacts of Gary’s encouragement and friendship, as neighbours and as fellow souls on life’s journey.

Aaron very generously entertained Roslyn & Lynette at his Pizza restaurant, where we made our own Gourmet Pizzas, dining later at Gary's house and downed some lovely Canadian 'red'.

........................................................................

EULOGY – Jeff Lacey (Canadian Mate)

First I have to say, Gars (Gary, Gazza, Youngie), would never be able to do this without four boxes of Kleenex – he was the biggest crier I knew – so in respect for him I might not be able to make it through this, but here it goes.

I realize this is a sad day for us all, but it is also a day to celebrate Gary’s life. Anyone who had the good fortune of spending time with Gary can attest to Gary’s fun loving wit, his generosity and can-do attitude. Gary loved to laugh and loved to make others laugh and he had a knack of making other people feel good. Whether it was: telling my mom “That was the best meal I have ever eaten !”; or telling someone “That was the best golf shot I have ever seen !”; Gary had a way to make others feel good - something we can all try to do better I am sure.

I first met Gary when we worked together at MDSI in 2000. We instantly hit it off and have remained great friends ever since. Gary first met my son Jackson when he was 5 years old and they developed a special bond, that will no doubt influence Jackson’s journey through life. We shared so many fun times with Gary and it is so hard to pick out a few. The three of us played many a rounds of golf together, watched many a hockey game and even quite a number of Aussie Rules footy games. We now understand what a ‘ruck’ and ‘mark’ mean. We watched several Grand Finals together. Gary was so excited when the Magpies won!

Gary loved playing cards and whether it was playing every Tuesday with the North Vancouver Poker Club, or in Las Vegas with the boys, or just a Friday night with Jackson and myself, Gary was the most excited, fun person at the table. Unless he was losing to me of course – he hated that.

I asked Jackson what he remembers most about Gary and he said there are just so many things to list. Whether it was the constant encouragement at school, hockey, golf or anything he did. Whether it was Gary’s unwavering generosity – Jackson’s room is filled with gifts from Gary’s many trips to Oz and Europe. Whether it was their endless conversations about sport - the two of them are the biggest two sportsmen I know. Jackson will remember all of these things, but what I also know, is Gary made Jackson feel special like no one else.

Gary was a generous man. He was always the first to pull out the wallet, or bring twice as much as normal whether it be food, drink or whatever was needed. One thing I remember him telling me during his work time in the UK that sticks out for me. He had purchased a BMW for his time there. At the end of his time he gave the car to a bellman that had helped him many times during his stay there. WOW - give someone a beamer ! That was Gars.

So before I conclude I’d like to give you my ‘Top 10 List’ of things we will miss about Gary:

1. Calling hockey jersey’s, ‘jumpers’ or ‘tops’ - I know it’s a footy thing but it cracked us up.

2. His many sports predictions - he had some doozy hockey ones that Jackson and I loved to hear. His most recent – ‘Canucks should keep Luongo’ - maybe not a bad one after all ...

3. His passion - if you knew him - enough said.

4. His unique naming conventions - ‘Wacko Jacko’, the ‘Rock Lobster’, ‘Firecracker Gut’ to name but a few.

5. All his new inventions and ideas - does anyone know about the ‘YIPS FIX’ ?

6. His Grand Final nights with special Aussie wieners and Aussie meat pies

7. The special Aussie sauce

8. His big hand on your shoulder, offering support anytime its needed

9. His huge smile and even bigger laugh

10. And lastly, his unwavering friendship.

So in closing, there is no doubt Gary lived life to the fullest. There is also no doubt that he absolutely cherished his family and all of his friends in Oz and here in Canada. In a recent conversation, Gary mentioned to me that he finally realized what a great life he had.

Gary saw and did more in his far too short life than most people will do if they live to 100. So, while I will miss Gary immensely, I know he would want us all to celebrate his life and all he shared with each and every person he knew. Gary always told me I was the luckiest person he knew. Yes Gars, I was the luckiest person but only because I had you as a friend. Gars – you are one-of-a-kind.

.......................................................................

AUSTRALIAN FUNERAL SERVICE EULOGIES

EULOGY – Cameron Sneddon (nephew)

Uncle Gary always made me laugh. Growing up we used to make the road trip from Townsville to Melbourne every second Christmas. Uncle Gary would poke fun at his niece and nephews and always draw a roar of laughter and giggles. One year I was so excited to tell Uncle Gary that Santa had delivered me a Gameboy for Christmas. Uncle Gary was quick to reply, "What ? A Gay-Boy !"

He would chase us around the sporting fields. Playing T-ball in Aunty Lynette's backyard in Traralgon, he was there to throw down the curve ball. His favourite sports were of course golf and tennis and he excelled at both. Uncle Gary recently tried to impart his golfing wisdom on to me and teach me how to hit a 'pure shot'. I of course left the driving range sore and confused, but I did love every minute of it.

Uncle Gary has always been full of enthusiasm and would energise the room with his presence. He would lift spirits and bring the best out of people. We used to joke around that one day we would open up a Restaurant / Micro-Brewery together. Uncle Gary would manage the food and I would brew the beer. It was of course a pipe dream, but I knew anything was possible when Uncle Gary put his mind to it.

I feel really fortunate to have had the opportunity to get to know Uncle Gary a lot more in recent years. The last couple of years, he stopped by Brisbane to say 'G'day' during his holidays in Australia. I was able to get to know the real Gary, rather than just the fun Uncle who made me laugh. Conversely Uncle Gary took the opportunity to find out about my family and took an interest in my wife and daughter as well as my sister's family, who also live in Brisbane. These were treasured times that I will never forget.

Uncle Gary dearly loved his three nieces (2 in-laws), three nephews (1 in-law) and three Great-nieces. He was a great Uncle to all nine of us and will never be forgotten.

...................................................................

EULOGY - Jared Ahale (nephew)

Gary John Sinclair Young,

Uncle Gary,

Gaz, Gazza,

Honey bun,

and all the other names we knew him by, some probably not repeatable here:)

He was such a big, lovable personality and it’s still really hard to believe that he’s gone. I had always thought that we has invincible.

When I look at the short life that was, 3 key words stand out for me. I almost think of them as values or rules that Gary lived by that governed everything he was, and everything he did:

LOVE

PASSION and

JOY

He LOVED his family and clearly considered his friends family also.

He lived with PASSION, throwing himself into everything he did with almost addictive vigor. Football, computers, golf, women, cards, tennis, clothes, art, Collingwood, golf - the list could go on and on. He really had a strong passion to play and was always fun to play with.

And JOY, what he did was not only his passion, it really made him happy and he brought a lot of joy to the lives of those around him. His larger than life laugh, his bear hugs that seemed to wrap everyone up no matter how much bigger they were than him, his mischievous gins, the way he told his stories and the way in almost every game, he’d try and sneak something past you - not out of any want to gain advantage, just to make you smile and pay attention.

His life was marked with generosity. Generosity of his time, his skills, his money and possessions as well as his infectious energy, or spirit.

There is a great video on the internet that is narrated by Allan Watt and I think this line from what is a great video, is quite poignant here.

‘Better to have a short life, that is full of what you like doing, than a long life spent in a miserable way.’

It’s clear to see, from all those his passing has affected, that his life touched a great number of people, all over the world.

Thank you for the time you spent with us uncle Gary and God bless.

...........................................................

EULOGY ‘UNCLE GAZ’ - PETER DOCKING

First of all I would like to say that it is an honour to have the opportunity to share a few of my memories of Gary today, in the presence of Gary’s family and friends.

Gary was a very good mate of mine. We had a lot of fun times together, we laughed a lot (who can forget that laugh) and we got into some trouble too. Gary could have written a long book describing the different chapters of his life. It would have been a best seller! As Gary was a little older than me, I affectionately referred to him as ‘Uncle Gaz’ as he seemed more like family to me. But although he was older, we were always on the same wavelength as each other. Gary’s ability to connect with people was special.

Gary was a very creative person. So creative that sometimes it bordered on the ridiculous. When Gary was over in Australia recently he organised a cards night with Cam, GT and myself. Gary considered himself as a bit of a player. All was going according to plan as far as I was concerned. We were fleecing him. Once he had run out of cash there was the inevitable call for him to walk the ‘whole’ 50 metres to the ATM, so he could get some more cash and re-join the game. He said that he didn’t need to do that, but could still win the game. We were a little perplexed until we saw that he was writing out these paper IOU’s!! He got back into the game and I am pretty sure that he might have even cleaned us up by the end of the night (my memory is a little clouded from that night).

We are all aware of Gary’s sporting prowess. He was a talented tennis player ("Not many people I know have received tennis medals from the great Neale Fraser.") and he was a pretty handy golfer too. I also had the chance to have played golf with Gary when he recently visited. Gary was always interested in the personal development of his friends. He would help out wherever he could. In my case this was around my golf game - it was Gary’s 25 year 'work in progress'. But as bad as my game could be at times, he always found positives for me. That’s just the way Gary was with everyone.

Still on the topic of sport .... being a pretty competitive individual, Gary had wanted to pit his sporting talents against those of some of his mates. In the mid 90’s he invited a bunch of mates down to his place in Mornington for a weekend of sports events. 'Sportarama' was born! Sportarama was one of those typical ‘Garyisms’ and it’s all I'd heard Gary talking about for several months, such was his excitement in the lead up to the weekend. Sportarama involved playing tennis, golf, swimming races at the beach, many injuries, and many laughs. Gary’s shack at Mornington was bursting at the seams with the number of people present (even some of the neighbours got into it), so there were tents, eskies and deck chairs filling up the entire property. At the end of the weekend and after declaring himself the inaugural Sportarama winner (!) - and why not it was his idea - we all declared that it was one of the best weekends we'd ever had! But for Gary, I don’t think it was so much about the sport, as it was about having his mates over for some good times. He loved his mates and he really was a good mate to many.

Gary was also a man of action. He never stayed still for 5 minutes. He was always thinking about the next step to take and looking at ways of bettering himself. While working together in the electricity industry in Traralgon, I said to Gary one day that there were a couple of jobs advertised in Frankston and that I wouldn’t mind getting out of the Latrobe Valley, so I might try and get a transfer. Next thing I know Gary is calling from Frankston, telling me that he had started work there and that I should get onto it! Which I did.

A few years after this, I met up with a good mate of ours, Graham McDougall. Graham had recently made the jump from the electricity industry and into IT and was working in New Zealand. He was telling me about a couple of jobs that he had advertised over in Auckland and that he was looking to hire more people with electricity industry experience and that I should consider applying for it. I mentioned this to Gary one day. Next thing I know Gary is calling me from Auckland, telling me that he had started work there and that I should get onto it! Which I did.

This was the beginning of Gary’s grand World Tour. A big adventure, where Gary had the opportunity to work in all corners of the globe. It would be an understatement to say that he loved this lifestyle. He made so many friends along the journey. This is evident in the Canadian online Guest Book, where so many people have made contributions. Other than Australia and Canada, there are entries from people in the USA, the UK, New Zealand, Germany and Ireland. If it were possible for all of Gary’s family and friends around the world to be here with us today, this chapel would be filled many times over.

Just like Gary, I was also on my own worldwide tour, up until a few years ago. And no matter which country I was working in at the time, Gary always made an effort to visit me. I always appreciated this and I will always remember Gary for being a very loyal mate to me.

I could not have wished for a better friend.

...........................................................

EULOGY - PETER FLAHERTY

We’ve all been badly ripped off. The life expectancy of the average Australian male is 76 and Gary, who rarely fell short of any goal he ever set himself, and was anything but average, missed that by a mile. And it’s just not right.

I, for one still expect a text from him – and it usually comes about 4 in the morning - which is 9am Vancouver time - telling me of his latest plan to make a fortune or the new life he hoped to lead when he finally came back to Melbourne for good. If I can find any consolation from this terrible tragedy, it’s the fact that Gary packed more living, more adventures and more laughs into his life that anyone I’ve ever met.

Let me tell you about the Gary I knew and loved.

We met as kids playing junior footy for Morwell Youth Club. Like all country kids, we lived for our sport… footy in winter and tennis or cricket in summer. Gary played them all with the casual air of a natural sportsman.

Our friendship really took off in our early 20s when Gazza and a few of us got together and formed a sporting team we called the Slugs. I think we liked the name because it lulled the opposition into a false sense of security because, in fact, we were ferociously competitive. We played any sport going - basketball, volleyball, indoor cricket … but tennis was our real love.

Gary was by far the most naturally gifted sportsman among us, and he had a wicked serve and ground strokes that could terrorise the opposition.

But that was only when he set his mind to the job at hand. If he’d had a big Friday night at the Dome – and we all usually did - his form and his attention span could be rather ordinary.

The guaranteed way to get him going on the tennis court was to give him a massive challenge (like telling him he had no chance of beating the club champion) or get him angry. Getting him angry was much more fun.

In one tennis match he was playing with Trevor Allan, and they were up against a pair of notorious cheats from Newborough – a father and son combination who called anything within six inches of a line out.

On this day they were being more blatant than usual and Gary decided he’d had enough. After another dodgy call, Gary quietly suggested to Trev that they turn the match into a tennis version of cricket’s bodyline series.

Gary, who could hit a ball harder than anyone I’ve ever seen, then proceeded to rifle half a dozen of the most ferocious shots imaginable into the various body parts of these blokes. Trev got in a couple of good ‘uns too and, sure, they lost the match but they had the satisfaction of knowing the son at least was unlucky to ever father any children.

Each year we’d all head to Country Week tennis in Melbourne – supposedly to represent Morwell and make the town proud. In reality, we drank beer, chased girls and didn’t make anyone proud. Weirdly, we never won any matches sober, but after a few drinks we were as good as anyone. Gary was the natural ringleader for all after hours activities and I was always in awe of how a country boy like Gazza would always know the best nightclubs to visit.

Given his great athletic ability at any sport, it was always a surprise to me that Gary was such a shocking driver. You put your life in his hands when he was driving.

The only person who didn’t think he was a terrible driver was, in fact, Gary, which kinda made him even more dangerous.

On one trip from Morwell to Merimbula for a weekend away, Trev made the mistake of telling Gary that the local record for the drive up the coast was 4 hours and 5 minutes. Gary, who was always up for a challenge, made it his mission to do better.

By Orbost, Trev and I had enough – our nerves were shot to bits. So we did what you’d expect smart guys like us to do. We demanded Gary pull over, walked into a pub, ordered a slab of beer, got back in the car and proceeded to drink heavily.

Gary made Merimbula in a smidge under four hours.

It might have been dangerous driving with Gary in the country, but in the city it was truly terrifying. That’s because Gary spent as much time girl watching as he did keeping an eye on the road.

On one occasion, Gary and I were driving down Toorak Rd. We were following standard driving procedure… Gary was behind the wheel and his eyes were on the footpath. I was in the passenger seat and my eyes were on the road.

Sure enough, Gary spies a beautiful young lady and demands I check her out. Now Gary always had fantastic taste in girls so I thought it was worth having a peek. My peek turned into a look and Gary’s look turned into a stare.

Sure enough, when I looked back to the road the traffic had stopped and we were heading straight up the exhaust pipe of the car in front.

All I had time to yell was …. Garrrrrrryyyyyy!!!

With the kind of reflexes the rest of us would kill for, Gary took one look, sized up the situation and yanked the steering wheel hard left and drove into the only vacant parking spot in Toorak Rd. We screamed to a halt beside the car we were going to hit ... and to this day it remains the most amazing piece of driving I have ever seen.

And Gary’s only comment: “She didn’t look so good close up.”

Gary and I went on a round the world trip together in our late 20s for what I thought was going to be a year away. But although I knew him as well as anybody, I didn’t fully appreciate his love of the good life. We took roughly the same amount of money and planned to eke it out by backpacking.

Our first stop was Kuala Lumpar in Malaysia and we got in late at night. As we drove into the city, Gary took one look at the one-star hotel we pulled up at and refused to leave the cab. It was five-star or nothing.

In eight days, we blew half our year’s budget but what an introduction to the world we had. To combine my love of history and Gary’s love of a good time, we spent an entire day drinking Singapore Slings at the famous Raffles Hotel until Gary felt that he understood Singaporean well enough to gatecrash a wedding at the hotel and get his picture taken with the bride and groom.

I have a picture of a beaming Gary hugging an equally beaming bride. The groom, on the other hand, looks incredibly startled.

Given Gary’s desire to live high on the hog in Asia, I relied on his smooth talking ways to drive our dollar further. And he was brilliant.

We’d heard of a great accommodation deal at the President Merlin in Singapore, but when we got there the desk clerk told us the cheap rate they promoted was for Asians only. Quick as a flash Gary replied: “But we’re Australasians.” We got a deal.

When we got to London, Gary got us on a six-week bus tour of Europe. He worked his verbal magic to get a super deal too but we didn’t fully realize how rough a tour it was going to be. The food was rough, the camping was rougher and many of the camping grounds we stayed in had facilities that just didn’t work.

And that just didn’t sit well with Gary’s five-star tastes. Our six-week tour took across 26 countries and my ambition was to absorb the history and culture of every country we visited. Gary’s was to have a hot shower once a day. And I don’t know how he did it, but he would always front up to breakfast every morning looking a million dollars.

At one campsite in Yugoslavia we arrived so early in the tourist season that the toilet and shower facilities were locked. So we couldn’t even have a cold shower. So imagine everyone’s surprise to see Gary stroll into camp next morning looking like he’d come out of a men’s grooming magazine. It turns out he has broken into the toilet block, fired up a boiler – no doubt using his SEC skills - and then spent over an hour in the shower using up the entire hot water supply. Now that’s determination.

Another highlight of our trip was playing golf at St Andrews in Scotland …… with a whiskey hangover of course! Years later, when he was working in the UK he went back there and brought me home a St Andrews beanie – something I couldn’t afford when we played there. It was the perfect excuse to sit up late into the night to relive those glorious times. They are memories I will cherish forever.

Many of my best memories of Gazza come from playing golf. Because all of us were so competitive, whenever he came home from Vancouver our matches were ferocious affairs that took most of the day.

One particular challenge was a grudge match he and I played against Trev and Steve Davey. We played for a fictitious trophy called the Soggy Green, so called because in one of our earliest matches we played in torrential rain that turned the course into rivers and lakes.

In recent years, Gary and I hadn’t had much luck winning the trophy. It was for 4 very good reasons – Trevor handled the handicaps, Steve had more arse than class, I was no good and Gary had developed a severe case of the putting yips.

Of course it was a hugely sensitive issue for him, so as good mates do, we stirred him mercilessly about it.

So when he came home just before Christmas and told me he had discovered a cure for the yips, we were excited for two reasons. It meant we had a real chance of beating Trev and Steve. And, in typically generous fashion, Gary wanted me to be a partner to share in the spoils. Deep down I had to admit that I wasn’t convinced. I’d seen him putt under pressure in the past and it wasn’t pretty.

So the Soggy Green was duly played and when the match was all tied up with three holes remaining it was a yip-free Gary who carried us over the line. It was one of our grandest moments together. Over beers that night Gary and I joked to the others that it was time to retire so we could stay undefeated in the Soggy Green forever. And it’s now unbearable to think that we’ve got our wish.

What I loved about Gary was that he was always thinking about the future - of new ways to better himself, of new ways to spend his life when he came home, and the next grand plan to make money. He was only person I knew that was getting smarter as he was getting older. For some reason, he never slept much so he’d spend the very early hours of most days out on his deck in White Rock, or on my verandah, or a mate’s verandah, or his parents’ porch, having a smoke and thinking about ways to improve himself… and others!

He hated the thought that any of his nearest and dearest were resting on their laurels. To him, age and circumstances were irrelevant. He wanted the best for himself, and for his family and friends. And heaven help you if he thought you were slacking off.

One of his greatest qualities was that he loved his mates. He would go out of his way to stay in touch with the people that he truly loved. Whenever he came home, he followed a well-worn pattern. He’d stay with his folks, play golf with his Melbourne mates, head down to Mornington to check out his house and visit more mates, then head home to the Valley.

There he’d visit more friends, take the time to say hi to my mum, and knock on the door of the Dadges, an elderly couple who used to be his neighbours when he was growing up in Morwell. Their daughter Louise, who is here today, said they have been devastated by Gary’s death. She said they treasured Gary’s visits and the fun he brought with him and saw him as the son they never had. But that was Gary, a bloke that made people laugh, and who had the wonderful ability to make people feel good about themselves.

Don’t get me wrong, he was far from perfect – he could be cranky at times, overbearing at others and if you didn’t do it his way, you’d better have a damn good reason. But if you were his friend, you were his friend for life. And now life has got ugly and grey because he’s no longer in it.

I will miss those massive Gary bear hugs, and that quirky, smirky chuckle. And those 4am texts.

When we spoke on the phone he’d often sign off with: God bless, brother.

Well, today, it’s my turn to say, from the bottom of my heart: May God bless you, brother.

..........................................................

EMAILS FROM FRIENDS

ROBERT STEEGHS, Associate Director, Cognizant

I first met Gary in NZ, at Mercury Energy fifteen years ago, whilst he was working at Tui Consulting, implementing a customer billing solution, together with Jon Kinsley-Smith (& others). We met again at Anglian Water in the UK, approximately six years ago, and were the two longest serving SAP consultants on the customer billing project, and again had Jon with us on the team, who later left to return to NZ.

I want to describe the type of work Gary did at SAP and elsewhere as a SAP consultant. The role of consultant is a travelling role, moving from one project to the next. It means staying in hotels and being away from family and friends for long periods.

Gary could have operated as a contractor and earned a lot more, with a lower charge out rate, but his nature was to take responsibility and be a leader on delivery, so he found his niche working for SAP and SI’s. As a Principal Consultant at SAP UK/Canada he had one of the highest charge-out rates in IT consulting in the world, and all the pressure that comes with such a role.

The sort of pressures and challenges Gary had to face included:

• Over sold projects, high customer expectations with insufficient budget

• Designing solutions that changed the business

• Handling the bench & internal management pressure (whilst not on project)

Gary always wanted perfection and had very high standards, which drove him on and pulled others together around him – he was a great project leader. A key strength of Gary was his relationships with the customer; because he was so focused on delivery, the client respected and liked Gary generally backing him on contentious issues and business change.

On project, Gary never suffered fools, would call a spade a spade, and could even give his friends a dressing down, with a single look/statement. During a very busy moment on the project, Gary and I went outside for a cigarette – Gary pulled an elderly, but junior client chap across to join us for a chat (Gary would talk to anyone, the gardener/hotel cleaner, etc) and asked the client for an opinion. I never heard a word spoken by the client, due to preoccupation (i.e. mind was on technical design/mixed with adrenalin rush of a recent engagement) – so Gary says in consternation ‘You didn’t heard a word, how can you manage the project ?’

Off project Gary and I got to play plenty of golf (generally towards the end of the project, when delivery was under control, and more resources had turned up from SAP). I turned up with some old clubs, bought 20 years ago (at a little 9 hole UK public golf course). Basically they were rubbish; Gary immediately said I needed to sort things out. I came back the following week with a Dunlop driver, cheapest one available from a discount sports retailer. Gary pulled the club out the bag and almost twisted the club 180 degrees (head going at a tangent from the shaft). Then proceeded to prove his point again, by using the new Dunlop driver which sent the ball sideways, away from the flag he was aiming. Gary in his frustration and amusement said, right we’re going to the local Pro/Driving Range to get you (me) a proper set of clubs – he offered to buy me a set.

We both booked a set of golf lessons, I got myself a proper set of clubs and both our games improved a lot. Gary’s enthusiasm and support gave me back my golf confidence.

Gary later met my friends at West Wittering, where we have a static caravan. Gary turns up looking very cool, had just acquired a second hand BMW sports car, brought a few bottles of top Australian wine. We had a fabulous evening sitting around outside, gathered in a circle, around a fire. Gary was an expert at telling stories and loved the simple pleasure of sitting outside, under the stars, near the beach. He reckoned (jokingly, but with a touch of serious) he could live in the caravan (whilst working at SAP UK) to save on the rent, but really apart from Witterings, he didn’t much like the UK, due to overcrowding and weather.

Sadly, Gary had spent the best part of two+ years in a hotel in Cambridge. Later moving back to Canada, living in what he described to me, a nice property with Lake views.

I wish Gary was with me today, on project in Leicester, together will fellow colleagues from SAP (e.g. Sanjiv Gupta) as the project is a real mess, and Gary would have loved the challenge to sort it out; would have tackled every issue ‘head-on’, as was his style.

My one regret was I couldn’t find Gary a suitable soul-mate; we did try, but that’s another story.

My best wishes to Gary’s family. Gary was a true friend to whom I will always remember and miss, because of his directness, honesty and friendship.

...........................................................

GILES KIRK -

I was shocked and saddened to hear of Gary's passing. Firstly, my thoughts and prayers are with his family.

I was lucky enough to work closely with Gary when he was in the UK and working at Anglian Water, Cambridge back in 2005. I remember Gary joining the project in larger than life way, he was so committed to try and deliver the best solution possible. He probably ruffled a few feathers on the way, but his heart was certainly in the right place.

The Anglian Water project was my first introduction to SAP and Gary spent a lot of time sharing his years of experience and knowledge with me, for this I'm forever in his debt, as it enabled me to branch out into SAP consulting myself. There was a phase he used a lot whilst in the UK " Never have I seen such a self-defeating process...." that always made me laugh.

Hearing the sad news I've thought about that phase a lot today and had a few chuckles at the expense of my current client's project. After Gary left the UK we kept in touch through the odd phone call / web chat, and when I was presented with the opportunity of working abroad for the first time myself, again I sought Gary's advice, as to possible pitfalls and complications.

To me Gary was, a passionate colleague, a great golf buddy but most of all a true kind friend. He will certainly be missed and may he rest in peace.

...........................................................

JIM (JAMES) STORM

I would like to extend my sincere condolences to Gary's family on their loss.

Needless to say I was shocked when one of our group e-mailed me on January 11th to convey the sad news. One never dreamed that Gary would be the first to go. He was always the most up beat guy on the planet. And, he was my greatest ally in fighting off the "pundits" in Cambridge who claimed to know more than we did on the solution we were implementing. He was awonderful 'back stop' and supporter.

After the Year 2000 corrections were made in the IT world, the consulting services world suffered. This was how I met Gary. He would call me in his capacity as a recruiter and keep me in a positive frame of mind. "Stay alive 'til 2005" was his motto as he would call weekly to prop up my mood. And, you can imagine my surprise when he joined my project in Cambridge,

England during the early stages of our work in 2004.

My wife and I had dinner with him and his girlfriend from Vancouver one afternoon over-looking the Cambridge campus. I have photos of Andrea and her little girl but unfortunately none with Gary. He was probably off at the bar getting us refills when I had my camera out.

Gary was the life of the team. His laugh was infectious and there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for a "mate" as he would call anyone who would grace his path.

I left the project in May 2005 and did work for SAP in the USA, my home. I heard that Gary eventually went to work for one of the scoundrels from a USA client who started a business in South Africa. I wish I had known that he was taking the assignment so I could caution him. But I never heard from Gary again. My SAP friends eventually would tell me that he was

working for SAP Canada and that was all I knew.

Again, please accept my sincere expressions of sadness. Gary will be missed by many, many people.

...........................................................

JON KINSLEY-SMITH SAP Solution Architect, Mercury Energy, NZ

I am very sad to hear the news about Gary. We have known each other since we both started working with SAP at Mercury Energy in NZ back in the 90's.

Gary got me a job working with him in Texas and when I crashed my bike there and ended up in intensive care, he immediately offered to let me stay at his house in White Rock to recover.

I helped Gary get into SAP UK and we worked together again at Anglian Water. Gary was a witness at my wedding during that program.

We caught up a couple of years ago when he passed through Auckland on his way back to Canada. I will miss my friend.

...........................................................

JIM HAGEMANN SNABE & BILL McDERMOTT Co-CEOs SAP AG, Germany

We were saddened to learn of Gary's passing. On behalf of the entire company, we extend heartfelt condolences to you and the entire Young Family.

Gary was highly regarded by his peers and will be missed by many colleagues, customers and partners he worked with over the past 9 years. In this time he contributed to the success of a number of projects, thanks to his high level of professionalism and his knowledge in the Utilities industry.

With Gary's passing, we lose an accomplished professional who was a friend and role model to many, with his skills and reliability. His team members were inspired by his outgoing personality and relied upon his expertise. His memory will be honored by us all.

...........................................................

As well as this wonderful online tribute book of Everlasting Memories, many Cards, Emails and Phone calls of love and support were received by Gary's parents, his sisters and his niece and nephews. We all very much appreciate your condolences and stories of your time with Gary.

* * * * * * * * * *

Gary John Sinclair Young, greatly loved Son of Gloria & Ross Young, Brother of Roslyn & Lynette, Brother-in-law of Graeme & Victor, Uncle of Trina, Cameron & Jared and Uncle-in-law to Aaron, Mary & Kristy and truly besotted Great-Uncle to Grace, Jean and Isabelle, passed away on the 8th January 2013 in White Rock, Canada.

Gary awoke with chest pains on January 8, 2013, was able to call 911 and communicate with medical personnel on arrival, but suffered a fatal heart attack while on his way to Peace Arch Hospital, White Rock, BC. Despite the best efforts of paramedics and hospital emergency staff, he very sadly and most unexpectedly passed away.

A Funeral Service, planned by his sisters Roslyn and Lynette, from Australia, was held on Thursday January 31, at Victory Memorial Park Funeral Centre, 14831 - 28 Ave, Surrey, BC.

A Visitation was held from 6 - 8 p.m. on Wednesday, January 30, at Victory Memorial Park Funeral Centre .

Gary was repatriated back to Australia, where a Service and Burial was held at Springvale Botanic Cemetery on the 12th February 2013.

Springvale Botanic Cemetery, 600 Princes Highway, Springvale 3171, Victoria, Australia.