Lillian Young, 75, died in her home August 3 ^rd , 2020 surrounded by family members. She began her courageous fight with GIST cancer in 2006. After surgery and treatment, she enjoyed remission until it returned in the Fall of 2019. In July, she made the choice to go on hospice.

Lillian was born in Bergen, Norway, October 15 ^th , 1944 to Philip and Ruth Maubach. She attended public school in Bergen and later Fanna Folk High School. She taught school in Norway for a short time, but then joined the Norwegian Volunteer Service and was sent to Kenya to teach. On New Years Day, 1969, she met Doug Young, who was serving in the Peace Corps. After a year of courtship, including climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, they were married in Norway. Lillian told her love story to many who asked: "I met my future husband on a blind date on a street corner in Nairobi." Lillian and Doug enjoyed a marriage of 50 years.

Lillian and Doug were active members in the Pullman Sacred Heart church, and always remarked that they attended for the community. Here is where they met some of their lifelong-friends through Marriage Encounter. Lillian's family were rooted in the Pullman community. They enjoyed spending time outdoors Nordic skiing, hiking, and backpacking.

Lillian and her husband traveled all over the world during their marriage. They spent a year in Brazil with their one-year-old son while Doug was completing graduate school. Lillian took multiple trips back to Norway to visit her family and to share her heritage with her children. They spent two of Doug's sabbaticals enjoying Canada. After retirement, they hiked across England, visited France with Doug's sister, Donna, and took a cruise from Germany to Turkey, and explored Alaska.

Lillian was a talented and creative fiber artist and teacher. She started knitting at age 6. She was an avid weaver, tailor, felter, spinner, dyer, and member of the Weavers Guild. The craftsmanship and beauty of her work will always create pause and appreciation. Lillian found joy in teaching others the fabric arts and has a lasting reputation for being one whose depth of experience could help anyone with their projects. People have remarked about her positive energy, lasting friendships and kindness to all she came in contact with.

In the morning, Lillian began her day with coffee in hand and NPR broadcasting. She enjoyed walks in Pullman, especially to the Daily Grind where she found her latte waiting. It was not uncommon for her to mail pertinent, interesting and informative articles from the New York Times to those she loved. She found pride and duty in political engagement, and became an American citizen in 1996 so she could fully participate in the democratic process. In her last week of life she voted.

Lillian is survived by her husband Doug, her sister, Beate (Stuart) Harle, her son, Erik (Tara) Young-Brown, her daughter, Marit (Dennison) Bird and four grandchildren: Colton and Hazel Bird and Isaiah and Asher Young-Brown. As a mother she was honest and direct, yet kind and encouraging. As a grandmother, she made sure to spend quality time with each of her grandchildren, sharing her Norwegian traditions and her fiber work talents. The grandchildren looked forward to the two weeks they spent with her each summer, taking swimming lessons and eating ice cream.

Lillian lives on in her arts, her teaching, her wisdom, and our memories—and there is a place of emptiness within each of us, that only the many hued spectrum of light can shine through.

Due to the gathering restrictions of Covid-19, we are opting to make this Memorial available with a digital Zoom event. Please contact the family for link.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Northwest Public Radio https://www.nwpb.org/support/radio/ or the Peace Corps https://www.peacecorps.gov/donate/ . Kimball Funeral Home of Pullman has been entrusted with arrangements.