Dawn Young

Dawn Marie Wilson Young, passed away peacefully at her home in the Florida Keys on Friday, December 7, 2018. She was a proud small town girl by her own description, born in Kenosha, Wisconsin on May 5, 1937. She attended catholic school and spent her childhood there and summers on Lake Geneva with her doting parents, Chester and Eileen Wilson. At the age of 13, her parents moved to Fort Lauderdale where Dawn attended Fort Lauderdale High School as a member of the “Flying L’s” class of 1955. It was there she met and dated the love of her life George W. Young, III. An active thespian, singer and dancer, Dawn attended the University of Florida, where she was a member of “The Singing Sweethearts.” She graduated in 1960 with a degree in Elementary Education and she and George were married shortly thereafter. They settled in Tallahassee, Florida while George pursued his PhD. Several years later, they returned to Fort Lauderdale to raise their own family. Dawn served as a kindergarten teacher there for several years. Children were her passion and she excelled at raising her own children and shaping the lives of the many other children life put in her path. Dawn was a longtime member of Beaux Arts, supporting the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art. She and her many friends spent countless hours working on events to benefit the museum, including Promenade in the Park and the Las Olas Art Festival. She was an avid collector of antiques and the decorative arts, but mostly, she collected the hearts of those who knew her. In retirement, Dawn and George settled in Islamorada, Florida, where they spent many a day fishing and diving. They spent summers in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The light of Dawn’s life was her 2 children and 3 grandchildren. She never missed an opportunity to attend sporting events, dance recitals or to spend time with them. She left them many happy memories and will be forever missed and in the hearts of her family. Dawn is survived by her husband, George W. Young, III., her daughter, Jenifer Young Pfleger (Jeff) of Coral Gables, her son, George W. Young, IV of Fort Lauderdale, her grandchildren, Henry John Pfleger, Jeffrey Alan Pfleger, Jr. and Katherine Jane Pfleger, sisters-in law Nancy Young Smith of Kissimmee and Cathy Young Moore (Dr, John Henry) of Branson, Missouri and many beloved nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, December 20 at 11 AM at T.M. Ralph Plantation Funeral Home, 7001 NW 4 Street, in Plantation, FL (954) 587-6888. The family suggests donations be made to the Meals on Wheels programs of Broward County or Henderson County, NC. http://tmralph.com