Martin James Frederick Young, 85, died Friday, November 17, surrounded by his family at Michael Garron Hospital in East York after a long illness.

Born in Sudbury, near the middle of a very large family, Martin attended both Sir George Williams (now Concordia University) and Royal Military College. After leaving school he began a career as a systems analyst in the newly emerging computer industry. His career and sense of adventure took him to Algeria where he and his young family lived for two years. Nearer the end of his career, he went on another adventure working as a systems consultant in Kuwait.

After leaving Algeria Martin moved his family to his wife Danielle’s hometown of Montreal where they lived for several years until relocating permanently to Toronto. Martin was a life-long baseball fan, although it took him a few years to embrace the Blue Jays after his beloved Expos were spirited south to Washington. In addition to baseball Martin loved dogs. He often said that dogs were best judges of character, and they loved him as much as he loved them. Martin’s love for the family dogs was only eclipsed with the arrival of his grand-children Emma and Ethan. The poems Martin composed to celebrate the significant events in his grandchildren’s lives are cherished family heirlooms.

Martin is survived by wife Danielle (nee Desjardins); two sons Martin (wife Cindy) and Phillip (wife Miranda); two grand-children Emma and Ethan; siblings Nora, Dennis, Keith and Ray; and countless nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by siblings Norman, Sheila, George, Catherine, June, John, Colleen and Winnifried.