Wayne T Young

Wayne Thomas Young, the fourth child of Thomas Raymond and Jessica Beatrice Young, was born June 24, 1933. As the youngest of four siblings, he is fittingly the last to join the family reunion in heaven. Wayne grew up in the small farming community of Lynden, Washington, and played varsity basketball for Lynden High School. After graduation, he attended and played ball at the University of Washington, and then transferred to Western Washington State College in Bellingham where he met Dorothy Leaf, the Bellingham High School cheerleader who would win his heart and become his wife of 67 years. Shortly after marrying in 1955, Wayne and Dorothy moved to Anchorage, Alaska, where Wayne served in the U.S. Army. First-born daughter Gretchen arrived two months after Alaska became a state in 1959. Following a short "tour of duty" as a banker on the Aleutian Island of Adak - and the birth of their second daughter Susan - they moved back to Anchorage and had two more children, Karen and Brian, whose births were separated by the second largest earthquake in recorded history. In 1967, the family returned to Washington state, settled on Whidbey Island for several years, and then landed back in Bellingham in 1976 where Wayne and Dorothy lived for forty-five years until Alzheimer's prompted a move to Blossom Creek Memory Care facility in Wenatchee. Seventeen months later, on the wintery Saturday evening of December 3, 2022, Wayne made his final move to heaven. While banking was his profession, Wayne was an artist at heart with an eye for great design. He collected art and he made it. His silk-screened Christmas cards, paintings, and miniature houses and angel choirs are family collectors' items, but his wooden guns and swords were the real treasures, slaying many a grandchild's imaginary foe. Wayne was witty and loved a good joke, both in the hearing and the telling, and was a sports nut of the best kind. He ignored the old saying about a good walk spoiled and became an avid golfer with a single-digit handicap. For his kids and grandkids, he relished attending any game, match, or meet he could. He loved watching a good baseball game, and sometimes that involved the Seattle Mariners, but his family always took priority. Wayne has been described by those who loved him as artistic, amiable, authentic; dedicated, dependable, and devoted; funny, faithful, and friendly; gentle, generous, and gracious; honest, humble, and helpful; supportive, selfless, and steadfast. Amidst all the recollections, there is Wayne at the center, generous beyond measure, opening his beautiful homes to everyone, and making sure his guests cups and glasses were always full. He is survived by his wife Dorothy, their four children Gretchen, Susan, Karen, and Brian; their nine grandchildren Jessica, Stephanie, Kenton, Bridget, Thomas, Brett, Sophie, Nicole, and Lucy; and their eight great-grandchildren Eli, Elin, Zeke, Lynden, Jameson, Maddie, Bo, and Blair. He loved all of them best. We will honor Wayne in a family-only ceremony but if you'd like to honor him too, feel free to do one of the following: · Surprise someone with an unexpected or unsolicited act of generosity in his name · Contribute to Whatcom Hospice (Designation - area of greatest need) or Confluence Health Foundation (Designation - Home Health/Hospice)

Wayne T Young

June 24, 1933 - December 3, 2022