Seventh-day Adventist leader, civil engineer, and businessman Desmond Young has died at 62, bringing to a close a life marked by professional distinction, national service, and steadfast commitment to the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Young passed away on Monday, months after the Northern Caribbean University awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Science at its 102nd Commencement on August 11 last year, in recognition of more than 30 years of contribution to engineering, development, governance, and Christian leadership.
Church and institutional leaders have paid tribute and offered condolences to his family, describing Young as disciplined, selfless, faithful, and deeply committed to excellence.
Pastor Glen Samuels, president of the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, described Young’s passing as an immeasurable loss to the church and the nation.
“He was a tremendous resource. His reach and the depth of his service, his commitment, integrity, and professionalism all show the kind of man he was,” Samuels said. “So much was given in one person, making his passing a tragedy, but we believe in the hope of the resurrection.”
Born in Kingston, Young showed perseverance and determination from an early age. After losing his mother at 15, he remained committed to his education, attending Dupont Primary School, Cockburn Gardens Primary and Junior High School, Excelsior High School, and Excelsior Community College. He then pursued further studies at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, before travelling to Moscow to earn a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering. Upon returning to Jamaica, he continued his academic journey, obtaining a second Master’s degree in Business Administration and International Business from the Mona School of Business and Management at The UWI. His journey from personal hardship to professional distinction became a defining part of his life story.
From his memoir, The Desmond Young Story: Where You Begin Does Not Determine Where You End, Young reflects on the perspective that shaped both his career and his personal journey.
“ I lived a fantastic life, one that started badly, with tragedies, disappointments, unfulfilled promises and with economic obstacles. God placed quite a few destiny helpers in my way to provide guidance that allowed me to be who I am today,” Young wrote. “ My approach to every event has been and still is, to face it, deal with it and move on. The past is the past, leave it there.”
With 24 years at the senior management level, Young led or significantly influenced major entities in both the public and private sectors of Jamaica. He said his 14-year tenure at Ashtrom Building & Systems Limited gave him a “solid professional background”. His leadership roles included chairman of The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, chairman of the University of Technology Faculty of Civil Engineering Advisory Board, acting general manager of the Urban Development Corporation, vice-president and later chairman and chief executive officer of New Era Homes 2000 Limited, managing director of Halicon Holdings Limited, and chief executive officer of Molodoy Development Limited. He also served on national boards and committees for housing, engineering, planning, and construction.
>>Read more in the original story published by the Jamaica Gleaner