Floyd Young

Powell City Council meetings typically begin with the pledge of allegiance, but Monday’s gathering started with a moment of silence and a vacant seat on the left side of the dais.

Councilman Floyd Young, who had represented Ward 2 for the past 16-plus years, died Sunday after a few weeks of health issues. He was 84.

Several of Young’s colleagues spoke up with warm remembrances as the meeting went forward.

“He was a good man, a good councilman and a good friend,” said City Administrator Zack Thorington. “So he’s going to be missed.”

Councilman Zane Logan agreed, offering that Young “was always looking out for the city like he should be.”

Young was raised in Laramie, but he and his wife, Virginia, made Powell their home over 40 years ago, raising most of their eight children here.

Young was a teacher by trade and served Northwest College for over 30 years, leading P.E. and algebra classes and coaching the Trapper wrestling team for a decade, according to a college biography.

Young decided to run for the Powell City Council in 2008 and voters overwhelmingly elected him. He ran for reelection four times without any opposition, most recently winning in November.

“I love serving the people of Powell,” Young told the Tribune during his 2020 campaign. “It’s as simple as that.”

He also loved his family, which grew to include 43 grandchildren and soon-to-be 25 great grandchildren. When Young spoke at council meetings, it wasn’t uncommon for him to work his family into the conversation — such as mentioning how they have enjoyed the Powell Aquatic Center; Young helped oversee the planning and construction of the pool early in his council tenure.

His heart for others also shone through.

One of Young’s duties on the council was serving as the city’s liaison to the Yellowstone Country Assistance Network (YCAN), which provides financial assistance, housing resources and recovery programs to those in need. When it came time for Young to report back to the council about YCAN’s work, he would enthusiastically offer updates about new grants the organization had secured and how many more local residents they’d be able to help.

“His commitment to public service was evident in everything he did — especially in his advocacy for youth programs, recreation, and for those in our community who needed a helping hand,” Mayor John Wetzel wrote in a guest column that appears on Page 4. The mayor said Young touched “countless lives” during his decades in Powell.

A funeral for Young is set for 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 5, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Avenue E. In the meantime, the council is seeking candidates to fill his seat on the council (see related story).