Richard C. Youngs Obituary (1936 - 2015)

Richard C. Youngs, 79, of Normal, died at 1:05 p.m. on Wednesday, October 14, 2015 at his home.There will be no services or visitation. Cremation rites have been accorded by Carmody-Flynn Funeral Home, Bloomington. A private interment will be at Evergreen Cemetery, Bloomington at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the I.S.U. Foundation in Richards name (1101 N. Main Street, Box 3060, Normal, IL 61790). To express condolences online, please visit www.carmodyflynn.com.Richard was born June 15, 1936 to Chalmer D Youngs and Ruby Catherine Kiteley in Wilmot Michigan in the same house where his mother was born twenty-five years earlier.At age twenty-seven months Richard spent the day (9 AM - 6 PM) of August 29, 1938, riding his tricycle unescorted throughout the streets of Detroit and Dearborn, Michigan making headlines in the Detroit Times and Dearborn Independent. This was a predictor of the adventures he would have throughout his life.Richard attended Albion College, graduated from Bowling Green University in 1958, and received a Masters of Arts in Science Teaching from the University of Michigan in 1960 and a PhD from Michigan State University in the field of Curriculum and Supervision with emphasis in Gifted Education.Richard married Sally Joan Lewis on August 19, 1961.Between 1960 and 1963 Richard taught at The City and Country School in Bloomfield Hills Michigan later known as the Roper School for the Gifted. In 1964, Richard moved to Normal and began teaching in the Illinois State University lab school. He later moved to the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education, where hedirected the program for gifted education and was instrumental in writing federal grants that enabled students to be trained in the field of gifted education. He was one of the founders of the College for Youth Program at ISU. Richard retired in 1993 and moved into a new and exciting phase of his life.Surviving are his children, Amy (Marty) Novak, Kay (Michael) Ziv and Roy (Amy) Youngs. Also surviving are one brother, Dr. David (Margot) Youngs of Shaker Heights, OH and one sister, Rosemary (Brendon Marsh) Dooley of Normal, two nephews, Peter and William Youngs, and one niece, Lisa (Matthew) Judd, who Richard (lovingly and inexplicably) referred to as Snert. He was preceded in death by his parents and one nephew, Jeffrey Marsh.Until recently, Richard owned a home in Prince Edward Island, Canada, where he spent many summers relaxing by the water. He also traveled widely, visiting more than 30 countries around the world, including Russia, England, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, China, Cuba, and Bolivia. Richard had a strong intellectual curiosity about many topics, and loved to learn all he could about a subject and share that knowledge with others.Richards intellect, wit, and love of good conversation will be greatly missed by his family and friends.