When we remember Elaine Young, it only seems fitting and obvious that we begin our story in a place that was dear to her heart; the golf course. On a beautiful December Sunday, Elaine grasped her nine iron tightly as her fingers adjusted the brim of her visor and she gazed down the fairway towards the distant flag on the number 2 hole. The ball that she had just sent screaming from the tee bounced twice and was now rolling intently across the green, straight towards the pin. She wasn’t close enough to hear the sound of the ball dropping solidly into the cup but regardless, it was drowned out by shouts of joy and cheers of congratulation. With a look of shock and pride beaming on her face, Elaine pumped her arms to the sky in a triumphal proclamation of victory. That was her first hole-in-one, but it would not be her last! Golf had become Elaine Young’s passion ever since she and her second husband Bill had moved to The Villages in 1991. Even though she wasn’t a professional player, her skill was strong and her commitment even stronger. Elaine never missed a chance to be on the golf course and when the opportunity came to work in the golf division at the Hacienda Hills Country Club, she grabbed it. Under her expert management things were tidy and efficient, just like everything that she set her intentions to. With her quiet dignity, she advanced quickly, fulfilling and mastering multiple positions such as Retail Operations Manager of The Villages Golf Retail Division and Operations Manager of the Market Street Mercantile store in Lake Sumter Landing. Being in the thick of the golf world at The Villages was a dream for Elaine and she loved every minute of it. She always had a friendly smile at the ready and enjoyed the company of the many golfers that she met in the shops and on the course, including some famous pros like Nancy Lopez. Elaine not only loved the world of golf, but she loved her family, she loved the Lord, she loved her church, she loved Neil Diamond's velvety-gravel voice, and she loved her Ohio State Buckeyes because Elaine was a buckeye gal at heart.
It was a warm Ohio June day in the summer of 1942. News of battles in the Pacific swarmed the radios as Ernie and Kate Amrine welcomed their first-born child into a turbulent, unsure world. On the westside of Columbus Ohio, the young couple pursued the American dream under the dark shadow of a world at war. Ernie worked long hours at the factory, always dreading a possible draft notice that could tear him from his little family. Kate did her part, stretching dollars, keeping house and giving Elaine and her younger sister Joyce the best childhood that two little girls could hope for in a world of shortages and rationing. It was a tough time to start a family but there was always time amidst the chaos for games and dolls, music and dancing, bicycles and boys. Like so many families, difficult times can cause stresses that lead to fractures and in 1952, Kate introduced her young daughters to Larry Dean. Larry quickly became the man that Elaine and Joyce adoringly loved as their Daddy for the rest of their lives. In the iconic late nineteen fifties, Elaine spent her teen years watching the world brighten with the magic of television and the explosion of rock and roll across America. Even though the Cold War loomed, the optimistic spirit of youth thrived in her heart and there were hops to attend, records to be played, and dances to dance. Elaine proudly showed her school spirit by playing the fight song on her clarinet under the football lights as a member of the Franklin Heights High School Marching Band. In the spring of 1960, she flipped the tassel on her graduation cap and not long after winning her high school diploma, Elaine won the heart of Bill Reeder.
Graduate became fiance. Fiance became bride. Bride became wife. Wife became mother. A new decade brought a new period in Elaine's life that was full of challenges to conquer as she settled into her ultimate role as Mom. The Reeder home was soon full of bottles and diapers as Elaine and Bill were blessed with the birth of their son, Larry. …then a daughter, Susan. …and not long after, another son, Mark. Even though it was an optimistic time, Elaine cried at the death of the young President and worried about protecting her babies from the horrors that she witnessed on TV. However, in defiance of a world that sometimes seemed as if it were going mad, Elaine made her little home a tidy haven for those she cherished most. She rose to the challenge of herding her little maniacs back and forth from home to school and church; keeping them safe and cared for, despite their shenanigans. Elaine loved her children with all her heart, consistently sacrificing for them and sharing in their triumphs and tears. Over the years, she carefully guided them, fiercely protected them and helped them grow. One by one, Elaine watched with sorrow and pride as they each drove out of the family driveway and down the road towards adventures of their own.
As time allowed and need arose, Elaine would sometimes turn her industrious hands to work outside of the home at places like Ohio National Bank, JC Penney & Process Division Inc. Her attention to detail and hard work made her a treasure to every employer but she not once neglected her home or family, no matter how tired she was.
Sometimes love waxes and wanes, and in 1987 Elaine found herself a bride once again. After a few years as Ohio newlyweds, she and her new husband Bill Young pointed their wagon towards Florida and became participants in a grand new experiment called The Villages. Elaine enjoyed years of semi-retirement in paradise, watching both her community and family grow as grandchildren soon burst upon the scene. In 2010 she mourned the loss of her beloved Bill but eventually found a partner, on and off the green, in Moe Catt. They soon married and enjoyed golfing, entertaining and traveling together for ten adventurous years. Not long after laying her third husband to rest, Elaine's mind began to betray her by slowly and gradually stealing away her words and memories. Throughout her last great challenge, Elaine maintained her dignity and loving concern for those closest to her, even if she wasn’t always able to say their names. After a brief illness, on an early September morning, Elaine Young slipped the bonds of this world and slid gently into the arms of her loving Savior. Those of us that loved her, mourn the loss of our sister, mother, grandmother and friend but we rejoice that Elaine’s faith has afforded us the opportunity to see her again!
There are many debates about the nature of heaven but rest assured, if there is golf past those pearly gates and putting along the streets of gold; Elaine is there with a smile on her face and a club in her hands, hitting balls along the fairways of eternity.
How very blessed are those of us who had the privilege to experience this sweet, beautiful soul. Elaine loved life. Let us always remember her. Let us always treasure the time that we had with her….and let us always honor her by treasuring every day that she lives in our memories and in our hearts. .
Elaine Mae Young
1942-2023