Darryl Young
Kail and Darryl Young, taken in 2010.
Biography of Darryl Young
After high school I tried Firelands Campus of BGSU for a couple of years, but decided something more technical might be a better fit for me. I completed courses in electronics and worked in this field for a short time until a job offer surfaced at Norwalk Furniture.
In 1964 I married a Norwalk High graduate, Kail Ann Holmes and we moved into a small apartment on Pleasant St. We bought a house on State St. in 1965 and began our family in 1966 with the birth of our first child (Cindy). By 1970 we had four children, Cindy, Jeff, Stacy and Brian, at which time we thought it would be prudent to pursue other activities since Kail thought there might be more to life than being pregnant.
In 1967 I left Norwalk Furniture and went to work for the City of Norwalk as a shift operator at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. It didn't sound very glamorous, but I was fascinated with the technical and mechanical aspects of the job. By 1970 I had acquired my Class 1, 2 and 3 Wastewater Treatment licenses from the Ohio EPA, giving me the necessary certification to become Assistant Superintendent of our department.
During the year 1971 we built a new home on Scottwood Ave., in which we still reside. Too much “stuff” to ever move.
Between 1974 and 1976 I passed the Ohio EPA Class 1, 2 and 3 certification tests for Water Plant Operator and became Assistant Superintendent of the now combined departments of Water Treatment and Wastewater Treatment. In 1984 I was promoted to Superintendent of the Water and Wastewater Treatment Division. I finished my last 15 years with the City of Norwalk in this position, retiring in 1999 with 32 years of service. During these years our four children married and each couple has two children for a total of 5 grandsons and 3 granddaughters. Three of the families live in Norwalk and one lives in Duluth, Georgia.
Although retired from the City, I continue to use my EPA certification in the operation of a small consulting business. I contract with Village Councils and private developers providing technical assistance in the operation of their treatment systems.
We are fortunate to have been able to do some traveling over the years; most memorable although not the most enjoyable, was a conference in San Francisco during the 7.1 earthquake of 1989. During the last few years we have had some less traumatic fun adventures, traveling to Medjugorje, Bosnia, Italy, Alaska, as well as several nice trips out west. Some of our favorite journeys have been on Amtrak and Canada’s Via Rail. We are looking forward to another western train trip this fall.
