Richard Eric Young

When Richard Eric Young walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Richard was and how he impacted those around him. Richard was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Richard wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Richard was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

Richard was born on March 14, 1939 in Toronto, Canada. He was the son of Eric and Loretta Young. Richard was raised in El Monte, California. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Richard might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Richard was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

Richard was raised with one sibling. He had an older sister, Gloria. Richard was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Richard was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Richard well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

As a young boy, Richard was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Richard was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Richard took part in football in high school. He was a Boy Scout in Canada. In his spare time he liked building. Richard had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

During his high school years, Richard responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. He graduated from El Monte High School in 1957. Richard was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. Richard absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For Richard, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Richard a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything.

On September 7, 1972 Richard married Eleanor Martinez at Court in Las Vegas, Nevada. Richard's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his new family happy. He was quite sensitive towards Eleanor's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness. Richard was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family.

Richard was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Richard, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Young home. Richard's skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Richard was blessed with four step-children: two sons, Pierre and Eric and two daughters, Debra and Valerie. They were also blessed with seven grandchildren, Salvador, Joey, Aaron, Brianne, Paul, Amanda and Hannah.

Richard was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was facilities management. He was employed for 25 years by Mattel Toys, Inc. Richard was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Richard had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Richard's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

Richard was a Navy veteran. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of Petty Officer. His fellow soldiers could count on him for being able to make adjustments to any situation as needed.

Because Richard loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were off road racing from motorcycles to buggies. Richard had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Richard's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Richard derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, Richard played football. Recreational sports included off road racing. Richard was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football, baseball and basketball.

Throughout his life, Richard was actively involved in professional and community organizations. He was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Richard seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Richard usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with him, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. Throughout his later years, Richard was an active member of the 100's MC Motorcycle Club and Checkers Off Road Racing Organization.

Though he never did anything solely for individual recognition, Richard's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and selflessness, earned him accolades for his many lifelong efforts. Some of his most prestigious awards included several high achievement awards at Mattel Toys, Inc.

Richard's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Richard took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favorite vacations included cross-country road trips and trips down south.

Richard was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. His family was rounded out by his cat, Frisco and his Labrador, Igor.

When Richard's retirement finally came in 1988, Richard handled it the way he usually did. He adapted and, like everything in his life, made it satisfying. Because he was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Richard to master. Even in retirement, Richard continued to stay in touch with his old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

Richard Young passed away on September 21, 2011 at home. He is survived by his wife, Eleanor, his step-children Pierre, Eric, Debra and Valerie, his step-grandchildren Salvador, Joey, Aaron, Bri, Paul, Amanda and Hannah. Services were held at Custer Christiansen Chapel in Covina, California.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Richard. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Richard Young for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Richard was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.