Brandon University officials took time on Monday to honour former geology professor Harvey Young, who passed away last week at the age of 88.

Colleagues and friends are remembering Dr. Harvey Young for his kind manner, intellect and commitment to Brandon University (BU) after the passing of the Professor Emeritus and BU alumnus.

Dr. Young also left his mark on the Athletics Department, first as a hockey player who was remembered as a great player and teammate. He continued to support the Caps, and later the Brandon University Bobcats, throughout his life.

Dr. Young studied at Brandon College, graduating with his bachelor’s degree in Geology in 1955, and was a member of the College Caps hockey team. He completed his master’s degree at the University of Alberta in 1959 and earned his PhD from Queen’s University in 1971. Dr. Young began working at Brandon College in 1960, as an instructor in Geology, and retired from his position at BU as a Professor in the Department of Geology in 1998.

hockey player

“Harvey was a great mentor for Geology students and young faculty members,” said Geology Professor Dr. Rong-Yu Li, who co-supervised two thesis students with Dr. Young. “To me, Harvey was a fatherly mentor, a dear friend, and an easy-going colleague of great intellect. He will be forever missed.”

Dr. Young remained active in research in his retirement, doing field work with Dr. Li on several occasions, and collaborating with him on three projects, two peer-reviewed research articles and three conference abstracts. In fact, they were working to finalize another paper at the time of his passing.

“I am saddened to learn of Harvey’s passing. He was a strong supporter of Athletics during his career at Brandon University,” said BU Athletics Director Russ Paddock. “In recent years, it was always a pleasure to see him walking on the track at the Healthy Living Centre.

In 1995, Dr. Young was named to the BU Athletics Wall of Fame.

 

Dr. Young was predeceased by his wife, Margaret.