Charles Young
May 25, 1949 – November 3, 2025
Charles passed away on November 3, 2025 at the age of 76 after a 17-month battle with cancer.
Charles is survived by his devoted wife of 50 years, Mavis, brothers Frank (Mavis), Howard and sister Gloria, sons Ken (Qin) and Andrew, and granddaughters Aubri and Erin. He was preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth (1973) and Annie Young (2010), and sisters Maria (2013) and Madge (2013).
His funeral was held on Saturday, November 15, 2025.
Funeral recording:
“Karaoke Idol” performance:
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. A donation page has been set up in his memory.
About Charles
Born on May 25, 1949, in Kingston, Jamaica, Charles grew up in downtown Kingston, where his parents were shopkeepers.
He graduated from St. George’s College high school in Jamaica and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.
At the age of 26, he married and moved to Toronto, Canada and started a family.
He co-founded Luminance, Inc. a training and development company, helping companies and individuals reach their potential.
Throughout his life he was deeply involved in the community, volunteering many hours with organizations like Friends of the Poor, Out of the Cold, and Habitat for Humanity. In Toronto, he was particularly concerned about homelessness and affordable housing, becoming chair of The Caring Alliance and helping found The Multi-Faith Alliance To End Homelessness. In 2005 he was recognized with a Community Service award from the City of Toronto. He also helped organize the inaugural Hakka conference in Toronto, to help propagate and raise awareness of Hakka culture.
The youngest of 6, he was a devoted son and cared for his mother for many years until her passing in 2010.
When his granddaughters were born, he doted on them at every opportunity.
An excerpt from his Dartmouth 50th anniversary tribute profile sums up his outlook on life:
“There is a lot to be said for joie de vivre. This is not to be confused with hedonism or conflated with selfishness. In many developing countries I have admired the joyfulness that people with little demonstrate. The little is often enough. They share naturally. Simple pleasures abound, and light-heartedness is evident. They bear the burden of earning a living gracefully. Contrast their ways with the perfection others expect in their triple venti half sweet non-fat caramel macchiato.
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
–Leonard Cohen”
Charles was an inspiration and an unforgettable companion on the journey of life. He lives on in his family, friends, colleagues, and all who were fortunate enough to have known him.
Death is nothing at all.
It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Nothing has happened.Everything remains exactly as it was.
I am I, and you are you,
and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.Call me by the old familiar name.
Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it.Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was.
There is absolute and unbroken continuity.
What is this death but a negligible accident?Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval,
somewhere very near,
just round the corner.All is well.
Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before.
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!-Henry Scott-Holland