David Arthur Young, father, grandfather, adventurer, and pioneer in healthcare, passed away on Father’s Day, June 21, 2026. He was 85 years old.

Born in Ogden, Utah, David was the son of Helen Miller and Howard “Happy” Young. His father’s career as a landscape architect for the Department of the Interior gifted David an extraordinary childhood — one spent wandering the trails and landscapes of America’s national parks. These early years shaped in him a deep and abiding love for the natural world that would stay with him for the rest of his life.

David graduated from Utah State University in 1963 with a Bachelor of Science in Laboratory Science and Chemistry, earning the distinction of Student of the Year. He went on to join St. Benedict’s Hospital, where he rose from the laboratory to the role of Vice President. In 1966, he co-founded Associates of Pathology alongside his friend and colleague Dean Hammond, MD.

In the 1980s, David transitioned into consulting, lending his expertise to laboratories and hospitals across the country and around the world. His career was defined not merely by professional achievement, but by genuine dedication to the advancement of healthcare. He retired in 2016 after more than five decades of service to the field.

On July 2, 1967, David married Kay Costello. Together they built a rich and full life over 51 years, raising two daughters, welcoming three grandchildren, and sharing their home with a succession of cherished dogs and cats. David and Kay traveled the world together, exploring far-flung places with the same spirit of curiosity and wonder that defined everything David did. Kay preceded him in death, as did his parents.

David lived with the throttle open. He served on Mountain Rescue and as a ski patroller at Snowbasin. He water skied, backpacked into remote wilderness, and earned his pilot’s license — taking to the skies with the same enthusiasm he brought to every pursuit. After retirement, he joined the Civil Air Patrol, continuing his service from the air. Whether on a mountain, on the water, or above the clouds, David was always most at home in motion.

David is survived by his daughters Candace Young (Valerie Ireland) and Kerry Young (John Barnhill); his grandchildren Zoe Schell, Max Barnhill, and Emily Barnhill; his late-in-life companion and fellow traveler Salli; and his cat, Tugger. He was preceded in death by his parents, Helen and Howard Young, and his wife, Kay.

The family extends its gratitude to the caregivers at Inspiration Hospice, the Terrace Transitional, and Treeo South Ogden.