Ronald E. Young

Ronald E. Young was born on August 18, 1949, in Creston, Iowa, the son of Harold L. and Mary Catherine (Kennedy) Young. Ron died on January 11, 2011, at his home in Sacramento, California following complications from strokes at the age of 61 years.
Ron attended Mount Zion #7 grade school in rural Adams County and was graduated from Prescott High School with the class of 1967. Ron attended the University of Iowa graduating in 1971 and then entered Theological College seminary at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. On May 24, 1975, Ron was ordained a Catholic priest by Most Rev. Gerald O’Keefe, Bishop of the Davenport Diocese, at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Corning, Iowa, his family’s parish.
He served the Davenport diocese including parishes in Iowa City, Ottumwa, Eddyville, Charlotte, Villa Nova, Farmington, String Prairie, and Clinton. Ron also served as a liturgical campus minister at Loyola University in Chicago. In 2004, Ron received his Doctor of Psychology in Organizational Development from Alliant International University in Fresno, California. He worked with several companies as a consultant and coach, as well as having his own consulting company.
Ron was presently an organizational strategy consultant and human resource strategist at CPS Human Resource Services in Sacramento, California. Ron also taught organizational development master’s program courses for Alliant International University and the University of San Francisco. His gifts of language, both spoken and written, often inspired those who listened to and read his words. He was proud of his rural heritage and appreciated the community spirit of the people in the towns in which he lived. He never lost his ability to focus on the strengths of individuals and discover the best in each person. Throughout Ron’s life, his family and friends were able to recognize the loyalty, trust, compassion, humor, and concentration he displayed in his personal and professional life.
Preceding Ron in death were his parents: Harold and Mary Catherine Young; his grandparents: Walter and Ethel Young, James and Berenice Kennedy; his uncles and aunts: Carl and Maxine Stewart, Lloyd and Marjorie Young, Dorothy Beard and Billy Cooper, and James Kennedy; and cousin: Mark Kennedy.
Ron is survived by his brother: Douglas Richard Young and his wife Deborah of Snoqualmie, Washington; sister: Catherine Ann Young and friend Kathy Keifer of North Liberty, Iowa; two nephews: Christopher Young and his wife Michele of Maple Valley, Washington; Brandon Young and his wife Sandi of Edmonds, Washington; two nieces: Rosemary and April Young of Snoqualmie, Washington; two great nieces: Noelle and Lauren Young: aunts and uncles: Bernard and Marjorie Kennedy, Edward and Carla Kennedy, Louis and Kay Kennedy, and Richard and Carol Kennedy; numerous cousins and many friends; including special friends, Jeff and Suzanna Hoye of Sacramento, California, who cared for Ron as he worked to recover from his strokes.
Ron is also survived by his devoted companion and great source of happiness, Isaac, his dog.