Howard Wayne Young passed away on May 16, 2019 at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital from
complications from age. He was 93. He was born July 7, 1925 on the family farm in Garden Grove, IA to parents Edgar and Lois Young. He and his two sisters were raised in a loving household where they enjoyed the freedom of farm life and the occasional company of cousins and grandparents. At age ten, he moved with his family to the Mojave desert in southern California.
He graduated from San Jacinto High School, and in 1943, he joined the navy and became an aerographer’s mate stationed in Alaska. When he was discharged, Howard earned a BS in geology from UC Berkeley using the GI Bill. While earning his degree, he met his future wife, Germaine “Geri” Barnes of Minneapolis working a summer job at Yellowstone National Park.
Howard had a long career working as an engineer for Caltrans. After retiring, he worked for FEMA, helping with recovery from natural disasters both at home and in Indonesia.
Howard enjoyed an active and adventurous life. In retirement, Howard and Geri enjoyed gem
and mineral collecting and supported various environmental and animal care organizations. He was an avid photographer up to the time of his death, traveling with friends on many photography expeditions and on his own trips to Costa Rica, Alaska, Montana and Arizona. At age 90, he embarked on a guided fishing trip to Mongolia. Howard will be missed by the many friends he made in Grass Valley.
He is survived by his sister, Eleanor Weidman of Kalispell, MT and seven nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife Geri and his sister Margaret Smith. He had a life lived well.
