Paul F. Young, 81, beloved husband, father, brother, and friend to many, died Tuesday, January 17.

Born in St. Louis on April 9, 1941, Paul graduated from Maplewood-Richmond Heights High School in 1959, and began attending night school at Washington University. For eight years he worked as a meat cutter at Schnucks and National Food Stores.

In 1967, when he was first recruited to work for American Family Insurance, he kept the meat cutting job as his back-up plan while he learned the ropes of the industry. In an era when customer relationship management meant index cards, and lead generation was done by knocking on doors, he began building an agency through hard work and determination. For many years of his career, the Paul F. Young Agency was the largest in the company.

Paul was best known for his dry wit, quick laugh, and generous spirit. He loved water skiing and snow skiing, and earned his pilot's license in 1968. He was a member of the Board of Directors of Triad Bank, Frontenac, from the time of its founding in 2005.

"Full tilt" was how Paul did everything in life, and explains how a naturally shy individual could transform himself into a successful salesperson who never met a stranger. He and his wife Kay, whom he married in 1997, enjoyed traveling, music, and entertaining their many friends. When they retired, life changed from vacations and weekends at the Lake of the Ozarks to living there part-time.

Paul is survived by Kay and by his first wife, Nancy Young, with whom he remained friends for life. Surviving children are sons Jeff (Katrina Morgan) and Christopher, daughters Kelli and Kristen Craren (Kyle), all of St. Louis, and grandchildren Jake and Kate Young, Kayla and Dylan Davies, Aiden and Noah Zoroufchy, and Vivian and Jackson Morgan. His brother Dana (Ann) resides in Chesterfield, Mo., and sisters Jan Jenks and Jill Jacquot (Peter) live in Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul M. Young and Helen Swenson, and his sister, Cindy.

Visitation will be held 4 – 8 p.m.  on Tuesday, January 24, and the funeral service at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, January 25, both at Ortmann-Stipanovich Funeral Home, 12444 Olive Blvd., Creve Coeur. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation or the Wounded Warrior Project.

Ortmann Funeral Home      www.osfuneralhomes.com