19222017
Douglas Mac Murray “Murray” Young
1922-2017
It is with great sadness that we
report the death of DOUGLAS MAC MURRAY YOUNG at the Veterans Health
Unit on December 18, 2017. Murray, the son of Harold M. and Amelia
(“Millie” Foreman) Young and was born at Taymouth, N.B. on
July 11, 1922.
Murray was educated in Marysville and
Fredericton schools and received a teaching diploma from the
Provincial Normal School. After teaching in rural schools for two
years, he joined the RCAF, training as a radar technician. He was sent
to Britain where, from 1942-45, he repaired radar equipment and
monitored enemy aircraft and shipping. Returning to Canada at the end
of the war, he entered the University of New Brunswick and graduated
with an Honours degree in English and History. Like so many returning
veterans, he took a lively interest in politics and, while still a
student, he stood as a candidate for the CCF Party in both a
provincial and a federal election. He then entered the University of
Toronto to work towards a Master’s degree but an offer of a
Beaverbrook Overseas Scholarship led to study at King’s
College, London University, where he obtained a Ph.D. in Imperial
History. His resulting book, The Colonial Office in the
Early Nineteenth Century, is still a leading source on the
subject.
After teaching for four years at
Memorial University in Newfoundland, Murray received a Ford Foundation
Fellowship to take a postdoctoral course on African History at Boston
University. He then returned to his alma mater and taught at UNB for
the rest of his career. He regarded teaching as the most important
facet of his work. He always tried to give his students a wide
understanding and was particularly good at placing events in a broad
context. He served a term as departmental chair, supervised many
theses, and was active on many university committees, including as a
faculty representative on the Board of Governors. His well-received
public lectures helped to expand the interest in local history, while
his own broad interests ranged from imperial and colonial
administrative history to the history of decolonization of Africa, and
the evolution of New Brunswick as a province of Great Britain, then of
Canada. He wrote numerous book reviews and articles, including
biographies for the Dictionary of Canadian Biography.
His extensive contributions to local history were
recognized by the Fredericton Region Museum with the Martha J. Harvey
Award (1993) and also by the Marysville Heritage Committee with the
first D. Murray Young Heritage Award (2006), named in his
honour.
Murray was always kind to others and
his quick wit and sense of humour often led to family fun. He loved
long walks in the countryside and we celebrated many happy occasions
at family gatherings. Much beloved by his family, Murray appreciated
the care given to him by his sisters in his early life, after the
death of his mother. He is survived by Mary, his wife of 63 years; by
his three children, Christopher (Pamela) Young, Graham (Vicki) Young,
and Carolyn Young (John Thistle); by five granddaughters, Gillian and
Rachael Young, Erica and Juliana Young, and Fiona Thistle; two
sisters-in-law, Delia Hachey and Muriel Young; as well as many
nephews, nieces and several cousins.
He was pre-deceased by his parents;
step-mother, Jennie V. Young; his sisters, Rhoda Sandberg, Grace Bawn,
Phyllis Burpee, Marguarita (“Rhete”) Dorcas and Jean Burden;
as well as two brothers, Mullan and Guy Young.
His family thank the staff of the
Veterans Health Unit for their great kindness to Murray while under
their care.
A celebration of Murray’s
life will be held at J.A. McAdam Memorial Chapel on Saturday, January
13, 2018 at 2 pm with Archdeacon John Sharpe officiating. For those
who wish and in lieu of flowers, donations in Murray’s
memory can be made to the “Dr. D. Murray Young Fund” for
hiring historical researchers at the University of New Brunswick, or
to a charity of the donor’s choice.
www.mcadamsfh.com

Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Douglas Mac Murray Murray Young 19222017.source

Death notice for the town of: Fredericton, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick

death notice Douglas Mac Murray Murray Young 19222017- mortuary notice Douglas Mac Murray Murray Young 19222017