Thursday, March 12, 2020
My condolences to John's family. I was lucky enough to have John as my Supervisor at the Hector Exhibit Centre during the summers of 1983 and 1984. I always found him to be fair and friendly. I was struck by his thoughtfulness. Whenever I would ask a question he would stop whatever he was doing and think about what I had asked before he responded. Above all, he was a kind and gentle person. It has been around 40 years since we worked together but I still tell the story of my first day working for John at the Exhibit Centre. I arrived for my shift and met John for the first time. The first task I was given involved painting four wooden benches that would eventually be distributed around the Centre's ground. John walked me up to the old barn behind the McCulloch House and showed me the benches, the can of paint and everything else I would need. He promptly left me to my work and after scraping the benches I opened the gallon of paint he had purchased. To my surprise when I opened the can I was confronted with the brightest purple paint I had ever seen. I felt the colour was not very suitable for the benches but since it was my first day on the job I decided it best if I did not start things off by questioning the boss. Away I went, painting all day. Four benches, two coats each, very purple. John came up around four o'clock to see how things were going and almost jumped when he saw the colour of the benches. He said something about that wasn't colour he wanted. He had actually asked for something in more of a brown. Then the funny thing happened. He stood back, started rubbing that big beard of his, thought about it for a moment or two and declared happily..." I like it" . And that was that purple benches for the museum grounds. That was the John Young I remember. I left Pictou after I graduated from Acadia and sadly lost contact with John. I have,however, thought of him fondly through the years. Again, I am so sorry for your loss. Geoff Hyson
