Ian Young 2015

The ceremony was aptly held with the remarkable backdrop of Mount Gibraltar – or as local called it The Gib. Ian just loved the Southern Highlands with its mist, the autumn leaves, the sunrises and the sunsets. He was forever saying to his wife Liz: “Come up the back quick! Come and have a look at this view now!” So under the Gib was the perfect place for this celebration.Ian Richard Young was born in Bega, NSW, on the 28th June 1947 and had an older sister Lynette and a younger brother, Keith.

His father, Gordon, was an accountant and moved the family to Sydney when Ian was three. Ian attended West Ryde Public School during his infant and primary years and went on to become an ABHS Pioneer after moving to Pymble.

He had a very cheeky streak, which lasted his whole life really. This made him popular with his mates, but not always with the teachers! But young Ian couldn’t have been that bad a boy as he did become a prefect in his senior years.

Growing up, the Young household was very loving and caring but, sadly, Ian’s father Gordon, passed away (also from a heart attack) when he was just 52, when Ian was only 18. The whole family was utterly devastated to lose Gordon at such an age.

When he left school, Ian worked for the Water Board, while studying the Land and Engineering Survey Drafting Certificate at the Sydney Technical College. It was while he was doing this course that he realised where his vocation lay and he then went on to complete a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree, doing it the hard way, while working full-time.

But that was typical of Ian; if he set his mind to something, he would pursue it with hard work, diligence and perfection.

In his high school years he met Elizabeth. Liz and Ian had a number of mutual school friends and often saw each other, either on the train or at various social functions.

Liz and Ian had been dating for a while and when Liz had finished Teachers College at Sydney University, she was deciding whether or not to go on an overseas trip with her girlfriends. When she discussed it with Ian, he said: “No, no, let's get engaged and then get married!”

So when Liz was just 20 years old and Ian was 22, they married at the St Ives Methodist church on 15 December 1969. Their wedding reception was at Araluen in Epping, followed by a wonderful honeymoon at the very romantic Surfer’s Paradise! Of course, they drove up there in Ian’s immaculate Morris Major.

Their first house was in Turramurra and they stayed there for three years before buying a house in Frenchs Forest. While here, their first child, Andrew, was born, with great delight, on 5 June 1974.

Ian was working for a consulting firm at the time, when he was asked to relocate to Brisbane for a minimum of two years. Liz wasn’t so keen to move away from family and friends, but for Ian’s career they set up home in Brisbane. Their happiest memory of that time is that their beautiful daughter Emma was born on 15 March 1976.

Times were tough in the building industry in the late 70s and while Liz was in hospital with Emma a message came through from Ian that they were moving to Canberra for two years!”

On arriving at the house at night with two-year-old Andrew and 5 week old Emma, Liz was greeted with packing boxes and a lot of building rubble, whereupon Ian looked at her and said: “Stay right there, I’m going to go and buy a bottle of scotch!”

They enjoyed their time in Canberra, yet Liz was very happy when the time came for her and the children to move back to their lovely home in Frenchs Forest, while Ian commuted back and forth to Canberra for the next six months, before moving back to Sydney. After being retrenched due to the market downturn, Ian took a role in a dewatering and pumping firm, which led to his later interest and expertise in the field of hydraulics. So, after a couple of years, decided to start working for himself and set up an office at home, followed by an office in Mosman and finally relocating to Turramurra. He worked incredibly hard and very long hours throughout his entire career.

Holidays were generally restricted to driveable destinations like Queensland, the Blue Mountains or the Southern Highlands at Easter.

Although Ian loved his holidays, he never actually went overseas until he did his 9 week trip with Liz last year to Europe - and what a fantastic trip that was! Now with the travel bug, Ian had already started planning for the next epic trip to Europe again in 2016.

One thing that was always clear is that Ian was always interested in the world and he certainly loved his maps.

A few years ago they moved from their home in Gordon and started a new life in the Southern Highlands where they met many warm and caring friends, which is wonderful testament to the amazing community here.

Ian was never a “lean over the back fence” sort of guy, but when he met his new Bowral neighbour John Scott, the two got on famously and Liz would often hear the pair laughing, swapping stories and trying to solve the problems of the world over the fence.

Ian adored his family. He was so proud of Andrew and Emma and their partners Kate and Paul and was further blessed with five beautiful grandchildren: Joel, Connor, Angus, Jackson and Madeline.

We must also mention Ian's other best friend (or perhaps “third child”): his loyal and loving chocolate Labrador, Coco. Coco and Ian went everywhere together - often exploring the lovely Bowral golf course, inspecting work sites or just taking a drive, which Ian loved to do. It’s so sad to see Coco looking for her master and mate around the house, waiting for him to walk in the door.

Ian was the most practical man you would ever meet. He could and would fix anything and everything from houses to people! He was a born fixer and rescuer.

He loved having friends around, even though he was renowned for falling asleep mid-sentence at the dinner table!

Ian enjoyed life to the full. Good food and wine were almost top of the list and he just loved the special occasions dining at his favourite restaurant in Berrima “Eschalot,” where Eliza and Richard always gave him a warm welcome.

His love of nature and wanting to capture the moment led to a keen interest in photography.

Cars were also another passion of Ian’s! He particularly loved old cars and has had a variety over the years starting with his Morris Major, he once had a Vauxhall VX490 and his various BMW’s were his pride and joy.

Ian was summed up by family and friends as having a good sense of humour, a most generous man who would have done anything for anyone, fastidious, very thorough and sometimes overly meticulous, with a sharp mathematical brain which always led to great outcomes!

Ian’s doctor summed him up perfectly - “What a zest he had for life and everything he did.”