Richard Dana Young passed away unexpectedly at Maine Coast Memorial Hospital, Ellsworth, September 18, 2009 surrounded by family members. He was born in Ellsworth, August 02, 1926 the son of Dana H. and Lillian J. Young.
A Bar Harbor native, Dick graduated from Bar Harbor High School and attended the University of Maine. He served his country during WWII (1943-1946) in the USAF. He and his mother opened a restaurant “Dick’s Luncheonette” later called “The Colonial Restaurant”. Later he worked as a mechanic for Morrison’s Chevrolet in Bar Harbor and Ellsworth. In 1948, Dick started a career with the Department of Interior as a fire control aid at Beach Mountain; he then was an auto mechanic instructor for the Job Corp at McFarland’s Hill. He transferred from Bar Harbor to Chalmette, LA in 1969 to serve as a ranger, interpreter, and maintenance supervisor, and then transferred to Fire Island, NY in 1973 to serve as Buildings and Utilities Supervisor, returning to Bar Harbor as Chief of Maintenance at Acadia National Park in 1978 until his retirement in 1986. After his retirement he worked as maintenance supervisor for the Atlantic Erie Lodge in Bar Harbor. Dick loved hunting, fishing, and playing golf with his friends, working in his own shop where he made furniture and wooden toy. His greatest joy was spending time with his family, the center of his being. He was a member of the Bar Harbor Congregational Church, one of the directors of the Ledgelawn Cemetery and a past member of Bar Harbor Odd Fellows. He was a member of the American Legion where he played bugle with the Drum and Bugle Corp that won first place in the state championship in the early 1950’s.
Dick was a devoted, faithful, and loving husband, father, grandfather, son, uncle and friend. He will be sorely missed by his wife of 59 years, Vernice Cousins Young; daughters, Marilyn Ertz and husband John of VA, Wanda Young of Bar Harbor; a very special granddaughter, Emily Dawn Ertz of VA who loved her “Bampa” very much; sister, Sylvia Cough of Bar Harbor; sisters-in-law, Thursa Sawyer of Charlotte, Alta Cousins of Baring; brothers-in-law, Charles Cousins and wife Rowena of Princeton, Allen Greenlaw of Alexander; several nieces and nephews and his Downeast hunting buddies and special friend, Brad. He was predeceased by his parents and a sister, Judith Dawn Young.
Calling hours will be held 6:00-8:00, Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at Jordan-Fernald, 48 Eden Street, Bar Harbor. A funeral service will be 1:00 PM, Thursday, September 24th at the Bar Harbor Congregational Church, 29 Mt. Desert St. with the Rev. Dr. Sandra Reed officiating. Interment will be at Ledgelawn Cemetery, Bar Harbor. Contributions in Dick’s memory may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of New England, 175 Ammon Drive, Suite 201, Manchester, NH 03103. www.jdrf.org