A caring man dedicated to his profession

Published on Monday 24 December 2007 09:44

PROMINENT city actuary John Young, from Greenbank, has died aged 92.

JOHN YOUNG was born in Lasswade in 1915 and went to school at Edinburgh Academy before enrolling as an actuarial student in 1932.

In the same year he joined Scottish Widows Fund and Life Association Society, which was located in St Andrew Square before its move to Dalkeith Road.

John remained there, rising to become assistant general manager and actuary at the time of his retirement in 1977.

He married Margo Watson in 1939 after meeting her at Perth swimming baths. The couple went on to have three daughters, Celia, Margo and Joan.

John was dedicated to his career as an actuary and was particularly interested in the educational aspects of the profession. He co-authored a textbook, "Actuarial Practice of Life Assurance", which was published in 1965 and devoured by students of the profession for more than 20 years.

He qualified as a Fellow of the Faculty of Actuaries in 1938 and held many offices, culminating in his becoming its president from 1971 to 1973. He was also treasurer and later secretary and finally, from 1970-71, chairman of the Scottish Actuaries Club.

The Church was John's most active and long-term interest outside his profession and family and he worked at both national and local level of the Church of Scotland from 1950.

At national level he was a member of the General Finance Committee of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which manages the finances of the Church of Scotland as a whole, and he became its convener for four years.

At local level John was an elder of Greenbank Parish Church for around 40 years and was treasurer there for ten years.

He had a keen interest in travel, particularly in pre-war times before air travel was prevalent.

He undertook a solo walking and cycling exploration of the Black Forest in August/September 1938 and in summer 1939 he went with another young actuary on a trip down the Danube.

The pair travelled the first part of 420 miles from Ulm to Vienna in his homemade canoe and subsequently went by ship to Budapest.

John joined up when war broke out, serving with the Royal Artillery from September 1939 to February 1946, and attaining the rank of Major.

His other interests included gardening, particularly landscaping and he played golf and tennis in his younger days.

The funeral service was held last Wednesday at Mortonhall Crematorium.

His friend of more than 40 years Paul Grace said: "John was a very sincere and very caring man who was particularly interested in education and encouraging the younger members of the profession. He had a long and happy life."