Rear Admiral Richard “Dick” E. Young – 1931 – 2026
In 2009, Governor Bill Ritter asked Dick to serve as Chair of the Colorado Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency. During his tenure he received numerous awards and recognition for turning the Colorado ESGR into the largest and most productive state ESGR in the country.
TRIBUTE
Dick Young was my mentor and a defining influence on my life. He entrusted me with extraordinary opportunities and, without hesitation, absorbed the pressure that leadership inevitably brings. He protected those he believed in, often at personal cost.
I witnessed him confront prejudice within our community with absolute resolve. There was nothing passive about his leadership—he met injustice head-on, with clarity, courage, and an unyielding moral compass. He was among the toughest leaders I have known, yet always one of the most fair-minded.
He pushed me beyond my perceived limits—again and again. In doing so, he taught me that true leadership is not about relentless pressure alone, but about developing people for the long term. He demanded that I live the values I spoke about, and through that discipline, helped me become a better leader and a better human being than I ever thought possible.
The lessons he imparted remain central to how I lead and serve today. My mother and I modeled our charitable work after the command structure and philosophy he demonstrated at ESGR—service rooted in integrity, accountability, and care for people. By following his example, we were privileged to serve more than 10,000 active-duty and retired service members and their families.
What a privilege and honor it was to serve under such leadership. Rear Admiral Richard “Dick” E. Young was truly a force of nature, and I will remain grateful for his impact for the rest of my life.
Rob Brazell, R2W Founder
At ease, Admiral. Rest in peace, Sir.
OBITUARY
Richard Edward Young, beloved husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, attorney, naval officer, staunch Colorado Democrat and fierce advocate for civil rights, transitioned on January 7, 2026, at the age of 94.
Richard (Dick) was born on November 30, 1931, in Shenandoah, Iowa, to Jessie (Susanka) and Floyd Young. The Young Family moved from Shenandoah to Philadelphia, PA to Lincoln, NE and, finally, to Red Feather Lakes, CO. As a teenager, Dick spent his summers building cabins in the area, some of which remain to this day. Dick is preceded in death by his parents and his three siblings, Robert, Eileen and Ronald Young.
Dick, after graduating with a BA degree from the University of Michigan in June of 1953, entered the U.S. Navy’s Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, and graduated with honors, 9th out of class of 911. It was during this time, on a short trip back to the Ann Arbor campus, that Dick met the love of his life, undergraduate Loraine Joyce Moote. Their courtship was mostly long distance as Loraine (Lorie) finished her degree and then worked as a research assistant at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles while Dick served aboard the destroyer USS MADDOX in the Western Pacific. While Dick was on leave, they were married in Cadillac, Michigan, Lorie’s hometown, on Christmas Day, 1955.
Dick left active duty to return to the University of Michigan to obtain his JD degree. He graduated in June of 1960, having served as Editor of the Michigan Law Review.
The couple moved to Denver, Colorado where Dick joined the law firm of Holme Robert & Owens.
In November of 1960, Dick and Lorie bought their forever home in Park Hill. Dick immediately became active in the formation of the Park Hill Action Committee (PHAC), an organization determined to fight redlining and blockbusting in Park Hill and to see to the peaceful integration of the neighborhood. He became chair of PHAC in its 2nd year. Dick was integral in bringing Martin Luther King Jr. to Denver in January of 1964 and was honored to host a reception for Dr.King at his Park Hill home.
Throughout the 1960s, Dick was a driving force in advocating for fair housing and equal opportunity. In 1962, Mayor Tom Currigan appointed him Chair of the Denver Commission on Human Relations. Dick was also appointed Vice President of the National Committee Against Discrimination in Housing. In 1966, he formed and chaired the Metro Denver Fair Housing Center which grew rapidly under his direction, receiving a $300,000 grant from the Ford Foundation. In 1968, he received The Human Relations Award of Beth Joseph Synagogue’s Men’s Club. In 1970, he was asked to testify before the U.S. Senate’s Select Committee on Equality of Educational Opportunity. During his testimony, his own state senator interrupted, chiding Dick for being “unduly harsh.” Dick, of course, didn’t back down. The Editorial Board of The Denver Post called Dick’s testimony “the best brief job we’ve ever seen at exposing the anatomy of housing segregation.”
All through the 60s, Dick remained an active member of the Park Hill Action Committee. As such, in 1967, he volunteered to represent PHAC in negotiations with Conoco regarding a small piece of land in the heart of Park Hill. Dick, in convincing the oil conglomerate to donate the land rather than build on it, gave Park Hill its beloved Turtle Park at 23rd and Dexter. Moreover, using the building skills he acquired as a teenager up at Red Feather Lakes, he helped build the pocket park’s first gazebo.
In 1971, Dick was elected Chair of the Denver Democratic Party. Under Dick’s first 18 months of leadership, the party saw the election of a Democratic Senator (Floyd Haskell), a Democratic U.S.
Congresswoman (Pat Schroeder), a Democratic District Attorney (Dale Tooley) and 13 Democratic state legislators out of 19 legislators. Moreover, that year’s voter registration drive produced the highest Democratic registration in Denver’s history. He stepped down from the chairmanship in 1976 but continued, now at the state level, to head up the party’s voter registration and the get-out-the-vote campaigns. He also chaired numerous state commissions and committees at the request of Governor Richard Lamm.
Dick never abandoned his love for the U.S. Navy. After leaving active duty in 1956, he remained a steadfast and energetic member of the Naval Reserve. In 1982, he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral and was assigned to the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. In 1985, though a Reserve Flag officer, he was selected to be chairman of our country’s Fifth International Naval Review held in New York Harbor on the July 4th weekend of 1986 celebrating the 100th birthday of the Statute of Liberty.
In addition, from 1985 through 1987, he served as Readiness Commander for Region 18 (7 states, 22 Readiness Centers, and 5,000 personnel). He was awarded the Navy’s Legion of Merit Award 3 times during his career. As well, he was awarded the Navy League’s highest award, the Meritorious Citation, the first time ever it was awarded to a Reserve Officer.
In 2009, Governor Bill Ritter asked Dick to serve as Chair of the Colorado Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency. During his tenure he received numerous awards and recognition for turning the Colorado ESGR into the largest and most productive state ESGR in the country. He was appointed in 2015 by Governor John Hickenlooper to serve on its Commission on Veterans Community Living Centers and, later, served as the Legislative Chair for the United Veterans Coalition of Colorado. He was presented with the Governor’s Military Community Service award in 2013 and received the national Lincoln Standard Bearers Award for outstanding lifetime achievement and excellence by a veteran in exemplifying selfless service. That award was presented to him in January of 2015 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
Dick is survived by his wife of seventy years, Lorie; his daughter and son-in-law, Diane Young and Jerry De La Cruz; his daughter Patti Janicki; his daughter and son-in-law, Nan Young and Brian Kelly; and his daughter Karen Young. Dick is also survived by his six grandchildren: Samuel, Benjamin, Joshua, Lorraine, Vanessa and Kai.
All of whom wish to say to their patriarch: At ease, Admiral. Rest in peace, Sir.
A memorial service will be held at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church (1980 Dahlia St., Denver, 80220) on Friday, February 27 at 2 P.M. Memorial donations on Dick’s behalf may be made to the ACLU of Colorado; the Rocky Mountain Navy at American League Post 1, Denver; and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
