GEORGE EDWARD YOUNGMAN

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GEORGE EDWARD YOUNGMAN George was larger than life, a tour de force, the last of the great characters. He charmed us all for 80 years until leaving this world quickly and peacefully at the age of 80. George could make anybody laugh, and did so with great regularity. He was the Don Rickles of the North, and could say things nobody else could get away with, leaving us all in stitches. George was a self-made man who met with much success in life despite a childhood marked by tragedy. The son of a successful businessman, George lost his father suddenly when he was only nine, relegating his mother the sole bread winner of the family. This loss would become a defining moment in George's life, forging in him a steely resolve to achieve prosperity later in life. That prosperity came to fruition in the 1970s when George achieved rock star status in media sales before launching his own media-buying company in the 1980s. George was a connoisseur of the finer things in life: art, custom-made suits, beautifully decorated homes, private dining booths at Pantages and Amici restaurants and, of course, his automobiles. Cars were a passion of George's dating back to the 1950s when he raced his beloved Triumph at the speedway. Cars would continue to thrill him throughout his life, with Caddies being his go-to car. He bought the very first Cadillac Seville sold in Winnipeg. Golfing at St. Charles Country Club was another passion of George's, and he had many golfing buddies there who became part of his extended family. Every weekend, breakfast at the clubhouse with the boys became a cherished ritual. George was a marketing genius who possessed a brilliant mind. He was always ahead of the curve when it came to spotting the next big thing or forecasting a future trend. His children in particular were beneficiaries of this gift, and he remained their sage counsel throughout his life, ever their guiding light. There will never be another George. He was loved for who he was -- an absolute original with a heart of gold who made us laugh until we cried. We will all miss him.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 30, 2016