02/01/2024
Remembering Darrell A. Young
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We are saddened to share the loss of Darrell A. Young z"l, Federation Board of Trustee.
Young was actively involved at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, serving as past chair of the properties committee and the real estate committee. A dedicated community volunteer, his accomplishments are far and wide within the Cleveland Jewish community.
Our thoughts are with the entire Young family during this difficult time. May his memory be for a blessing.
Please read the Cleveland Jewish News obituary, reprinted with permission. Text provided below:
It is difficult to put into words the impact that Darrell A. Young, a civic leader, philanthropist and businessman had on the Cleveland Jewish community and beyond, Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk told the Cleveland Jewish News.
“You don’t come across a person as gifted and as generous with his expertise and his time and his insight,” said Nosanchuk, Young’s rabbi at Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple in Beachwood for 15 years.
Young died on Jan. 30. He was 75.
He was born to Mardelle J. Young (nee Wolstein) and Howard S. Young, founder and president of Hannan Co. and co-founder of Developers Diversified. He was raised in Beachwood.
Young graduated from The Ohio State University in Columbus with a degree in real estate and began working for his father’s nationally recognized construction organization, Hannan Co., right out of college.
Young served as CEO of Darrell A. Young Enterprises LLC, a real estate, construction management and consulting organization, and president of Figgie Properties, a division of Figgie International, where he oversaw a diverse international real estate portfolio and was instrumental in the negotiations and strategic planning of Chagrin Highlands and Strongsville Business Park, according to darrellyoung.com.
In his more than 40 years of experience in all facets of commercial, industrial, retail and health care construction, real estate development, finance and management, he developed, constructed and managed properties including shopping centers, office buildings and medical facilities, according to the website.
“Darrell was able to understand the dynamics of complex building challenges, either new buildings or major renovations and overhauls and he was able to deal with the competing interests and financial challenges and the contractors and able to do it at calmly, keeping everybody moving forward in a positive direction,” Stephen Hoffman, president emeritus of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and board chairman of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, told the CJN.
Without Young, Beachwood establishments like the Montefiore and the Jewish Federation of Cleveland building would not have been built, and the Mandel Jewish Community Center would not have been renovated, Hoffman said.
“We often talk about the ‘irreplaceable person,’ and there’s very few people who reach that stage, and Darrell was one of those few. He was like the essential guy for so many important projects,” said Hoffman, who met Young through his many years of service as a community volunteer.
Young will be remembered for his leadership and team community building skills, Nosanchuk said.
“Darrell is a problem-solver,” he said. “Darrell is a person with great imagination and a great talent at helping be a strong member of a team without needing to be a captain, and also an excellent captain. He’s multi-talented and an extremely warm human being.”
Young was paramount in the repairing of the damaged Fairmont Temple caused by a fire in April 2023 and he offered his professional expertise in helping the temple carry out its capital improvements, Nosanchuk said.
Involved with the temple for over four decades, Young received its annual President’s Award in July 2023 for his service to the Reform congregation.
“You walked away from events where he was receiving awards feeling that he was grateful to you, feeling thanked,” Nosanchuk said. “… It was not an ego involvement for him, he was genuinely in it to help make others a lot better.”
Young’s other achievements included the 2017 Cleveland Jewish News 18 Difference Makers Civic Leadership Award, the Morton Mandel Leadership Award, ORT Maimonides Award for Community Service, Father Mark Dinardo 2020 Ohio City Legacy Award, Beachwood Gallery of Success and the Harley I. Gross Leadership Award.
“Every organization Darrell touched was so much better for having had him as a leader,” Hoffman said.
Young is the past board chair of the Mandel Jewish Community Center in Beachwood, and chaired its facilities committee; a past board chair of both the Montefiore Housing Corp. and the Montefiore Foundation in Beachwood; among other Federation roles, past chair of its properties committee; a former board member and chair of the real estate committee of the Playhouse Square Foundation and he was board chair of Ohio City Improvement Corp’s special improvement district’s board.
His hobbies included the Jewish motorcycle group Shul Boys, traveling, and going to the theater and movies, according to previous CJN reports.
Young is survived by his wife, Andria Young; two sons, Jordan and Spencer Young; and three siblings, Steven Young, Brian Young and Neil Young.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Feb. 2 at The Temple-Tifereth Israel at 26000 Shaker Blvd. in Beachwood. Interment will be at Bet Olam Cemetery in Beachwood. The service can be viewed at ttti.org, select sanctuary services and live stream.
