Celebrant Pam Vetter


	Celebrating Life Everyone Has A Story...

LOVING FATHER: 1962 - 2006
Contributed by: Pam Vetter on 8/27/2006

15 YEAR EMPLOYEE OF WESCO TRACK AND TIRE

8/27/06 Valley News Article

Ricky Alan Young, known by hundreds of people for his sense of humor, passed away while surrounded by family. He was 43.

A Celebrant funeral service was held before a standing room only crowd at the Old North Church, Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills. The service was filled with laughter and tears, but most importantly, it focused on Rick's life story, his love for his three children, and his gift of humor.

Ricky Alan Young was born in 1962 in Lompoc, California, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, to Norah and Chester Young. He joined two siblings, Trudy and Roger, to complete the family. When Rick was three years old, his mother relocated to the Hollywood area to raise her children on her own. As his mother worked as a waitress, Trudy was like a second mother to Rick. With their 12 year age difference, Trudy used to sing special songs to him, like "Downtown," by Petula Clark. The song was played at his funeral service noting Rick and Trudy's special bond.

From a young age, Rick loved making people laugh. He made his family laugh, he made his friends laugh, he even made his teachers laugh. In the classroom, he was the class clown and other children had instant respect for him. When it came to sports, he loved baseball. He collected hundreds of baseball cards over the years. As a teenager, he dreamed of being a firefighter one day. But, he also took the time to teach himself basic skills, such as cooking. He sought independence and was proud of every step he accomplished.

As he was growing up, it was a great time in musical history. Rick loved rock and roll music such as The Doors, The Who, Led Zeplin, and KISS. During high school, he worked at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, working his way up the ladder from usher to night manager. One night, he participated in a hot dog fight at the concession stand and lost that job. But, he quickly landed a job at Sears. Unfortunately, a battle with perfume one night led to his departure from Sears. He was still young and the whole world was ahead of him. In 1980, he graduated from Hollywood High School. He wanted to join the military service, but he was deaf in one ear and flatfooted so the military was not an option. Instead, he joined the California Conservation Corp. It required heavy work, such as cutting fire lines. It was hard but involved team work. It was the job where he grew up. He became dedicated and took pride in his work.

In 1982, he met Karla through friends. When Rick, Karla and their friends went up in the hills, the boys would launch themselves off the boulders. It was crazy, but fun. The couple was married and welcomed the birth of their son, Matthew. From the beginning, Rick was a doting father. He loved being a dad, helping with feedings and changing diapers. The couple was so young when they were married, they grew apart. But, they remained friends and always had a good relationship. Rick loved taking trips with Matt to the beach, fishing, and camping.

In the early 90's, Rick got a job as a salesman at Wesco Track and Tire in Van Nuys. He made good friends that were as close as family. He loved that job. Wesco became his stage to share jokes and he loved entertaining the regulars for 15 years. He even nicknamed the truck drivers: Buddha, Cowboy, Fish, Troll, Little Fella, and Fabulous, among others. Rick was naturally a funny guy. All day long, he had an audience who loved him. Everyone always had nice things to say about him.

In 1991, he married Linda and became very close with Linda's family. The couple soon had two beautiful children, Samantha and Dustin. His children were always his priority. His boss, John Austin, said, "Rick was the greatest father." Rick would have found that statement the highest compliment because he reached his goal. He wanted to leave his mark behind by being a loving father. He loved dirt bike riding with the kids and always supported his daughter's cheerleading and his son's love of football and baseball. He also enjoyed making team banners for his kids and loved being a big part of their lives. Once or twice a week, they also went to Chewy's Restaurant which became Rick's favorite restaurant.

Rick Young was 100% devoted to his children while he also had many favorites in life. He liked to use his barbeque grill to cook and he enjoyed treats such as cookies. He loved football, especially the Rams and the Chiefs. He liked golfing with friends and learned to scuba dive. During the last three years of his life, he enjoyed going snorkeling off Catalina with his girlfriend, Sissy. The couple also enjoyed trips to Las Vegas or singing their favorite Karaoke song, "Picture," by Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock.

Most importantly, Rick had a positive outlook on life and wanted the best for his three children. While he believed in God, he also believed heavily in Karma. You get out of life what you put into it. He had an honest belief in Karma and thought about his actions every single day, how he treated people, how he spoke to people, and his behavior. As a result,he will be remembered as an honest man with a smile on his face for everyone. Rick donated bone marrow through the Red Cross. He received letters about the lives he saved, including that of a 60 year old man who needed the donation to live. He even helped Sissy get started giving blood at the Van Nuys Red Cross Center. Rick wanted to help others. To him, it was a short amount of pain to help someone in the long term. To him, it was worth it.

In his final days, Rick was not about to give up. In the hospital, he was joking with facial expressions and hand movements. He even blew a kiss to one of his friends. The night before his passing, there were little jokes being exchanged and his family and friends left him with a smile on his face. His wish was to be cremated and have his ashes scattered in the ocean he loved so much. His family is honoring his wishes.

During his funeral service, both friends and family stood to speak before a standing room only crowd. Rick made so many people laugh through life's ups and downs. His co-workers say Rick made the job enjoyable because he made them laugh. In the end, everyone realized that laughter is one of the greatest gifts to share with others in life. The funeral service closed with a DVD Memorial Presentation filled with pictures of Rick with his children and music that represented his life. Memorial donations are welcome to his children's trust fund for college.

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