Newspaper Article 2019 – Community champion farewelled

Community champion farewelled

OBITUARY

BY DOUG LAING

A crowd of several hundred turned out for the fire service funeral of long-time support unit volunteer Ivan Young QSM, who died two weeks ago, aged 77.

Having served 37 volunteer years, from the time he joined the Napier Fire Police Unit in 1978 and as leader through its transformation as the Napier Operations Support Unit to retirement about three years ago, his Tuesday-afternoon service was held in the Napier Fire Station.

Outside the flag was at half-mast, inside his casket was draped with the New Zealand flag with a firefighting helmet and service cap atop, and his cortege departing afterwards comprised a vintage water pump trailer carrying his casket towed by Havelock North’s 1956 Dennis appliance, along with a modern appliance and a support vehicle.

Fire and Emergency NZ Hawke’s Bay area manager Ken Cooper says under Senior Station Officer Ivan’s leadership of the volunteers – often called out late at night for their array of duties including traffic and crowd control, general support of the firefighting crews and site security – the unit established such a reputation it sometimes seemed to be more used by other emergency services.

The commitment and service led to Ivan receiving the 25 years’ service Gold Star in 2004, a Queen’s Service Medal in the 2011 Queen’s Birthday Honours, and a Napier Civic Award in 2012.

He was born in Nelson and moved to Hawke’s Bay at age 15, starting out as a plumbing apprentice. Qualified in the trade in which he remained for some years, he was unable to continue due to an illness, and moved into other careers including building with Keith Hay Homes, and then a wharf job that ended with a near-fatal injury, keeping him off work for more than five years.

He later worked as a Post Office chauffeur, a dairy proprietor and a taxi driver, before settling into the furniture trade. He retired at age 68 in 2010.

His interest in sports took him into a role managing the Napier Technical under-19 rugby side coached by long-serving fireman Peter Draper, who spoke at the funeral, and ultimately Ivan would manage a Tech premier champions Maddison Trophy-winning side.

He also served in service club Jaycees, and with the Napier Community Patrol, while at home he was known as the role model, and the champion chef at breakfast.

He is survived by wife Marie, whom he married in Napier on October 26, 1963, and by daughter Julie, son Nigel, and four grandchildren.

Photo caption – Sandy Ibbotson, Eastern District coordinator national Community Patrols organization with Ivan Young, Napier, pictured two years ago for the Hawke’s Bay volunteer week series.
PHOTO: WARREN BUCKLAND