Kincardine community champion, mentor and friend, Richard Yun, dies at the age of 56

Kincardine has lost a great mentor, wonderful friend, and incredible community champion.

Surrounded by those he loved, Richard Yun, died peacefully in Kincardine, March 17, 2017, at the age of 56.

His wife, Karen, and sons, Michael and David, have appreciated, and continue to cherish, the outpouring of support from friends and family, who have travelled this journey with them.

Knowing his time was limited, Richard made the most of it, spending time with his mother, Gail Yun; his sisters, Susan, Sharon, and Sandra, along with his nieces, Natasha, Elizabeth, Abby, and Jacqueline. This group of wonderful women let Richard (Jr.) pretend he was the head of the family, after his father, Richard K.S. Yun, died in 2009.

Richard’s in-laws, Stewart and Phyllis Pfohl, Gord Pfohl and Charon Kerr, with nephews, Damon and Callum; and Ann and John Thomas, with niece Julia; have all been a huge support.

In addition to his father, Richard is predeceased by his nephew, Robin.

A well-known and well-respected member of the community, Richard was involved in many groups and organizations. He trained new hires in the nuclear industry and coached trainers. He operated a small business in town, and served on school councils.

In 2011, he was the chairman of the Kincardine-Port Elgin Accommodation Review Committee. Prompted by over-crowding at Elgin Market Public School, the Bluewater District School Board called for the review of all the Kincardine schools, including the high school. Richard handled the job with great diplomacy and ultimately, all the schools remained open.

He served on the Four County Labour Market Planning Board which nominated him for the Barbara Wright award for mentors in the community. He won the award for his tireless work as the administrative mentor with FRC Team 781, the Kinetic Knights robotics team.

His nominator wrote: “His willingness to say ‘yes’ when asked to take a leadership or even supportive role in supporting youth skills development is tremendous! Richard is always willing to step up to the plate, roll up his sleeves and make things happen if it will benefit the youth, cause and community. I admire his commitment to excellence.”

His beloved Kinetic Knights were one of the highlights of his volunteer career as he worked with the team to achieve greatness. Team 781 won the FIRST Chairman's Award twice, and then the Enbridge Quality of Life award at the Kincardine and District Chamber of Commerce Community Achievement Awards in 2015.

And as if he weren't busy enough, Richard joined the executive of the Kincardine Scottish Festival and Highland Games in 2016 and was in charge of the Victoria Park site, improving it for the benefit of the audience throughout the weekend. Two years before, he entered the Legs in Kilts competition and won first for the shapeliest legs.

He ran workshops for teachers, executives, at-risk youth, and basically anyone who asked. He was also on stage with the Kincardine Theatre Guild, but avoided singing parts – he had a knack for hitting notes that had not been invented yet.

Richard embraced life and enjoyed helping out, whether he was barbecuing for a Kinetic Knights fund-raiser, volunteering for a bike rodeo, or participating in Multicultural Night or Legion Trivia Night. He not only seized the day but each hour of every day with a drive to be helpful, to make things better, and to see the good in situations. We can honour him by carrying on these goals.

For all his hard work, Richard was nominated for the chamber of commerce's 2017 Bruce Power Citizen of the Year award, presented to the person who has demonstrated strong citizenship with outstanding contributions to the community in the past year.

Since he had a hand in writing his own obituary, Richard would say to all who knew him, "Please do not be sad about what was lost but be happy that we had it to start with." His mind-set was always to look for the good in every person and every situation:

Look for the Good

"As a matter of survival, it is handy for us to have a cautious, even skeptical outlook on life. Fearing the unknown, being guarded, and assuming the worst, all help to protect us from harm.
However, carried too far and, reinforced by an environment which excels at spreading a negative view, it is easy to focus on what is wrong, what isn’t fair, and how bad things are in the world.
Before long, things which are actually neutral get seen through the lens of it being bad, which in turn can cause you to believe that things are far worse than they really are. You can take a normal day at work and interpret it through a negative lens to see it as a bad day. Or take an innocent encounter with someone, and if you see it as negative, it can then affect how you treat them, in turn, and soon that quickly spirals downward.
One thing I have learned over the years, though, is that if we can change how we perceive things, we can change how we experience things. I have learned many things from people, such as: 'Misery is optional,' 'To change how I feel, change how I perceive,' 'When bad things happen (natural disasters. shootings, fires, etc.), look for the helpers, the people running toward the danger to help others.'
So look for the good in every situation, look for the good in people, look for the good in yourself and you will find it.
Start with what is right, what is going well, what is simply amazing, and focus on how we can get more of that, rather than dwell on what you don’t have.
This simple, yet difficult, change in mind-set has helped me through many things and continues to be a part of who I am."

In keeping with his passion for learning, Richard donated his body to science where it can be used to further our knowledge in the hope that others will benefit.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, May 6, 2017, from 1-4 p.m., at the Kincardine Pavilion. This will be an opportunity for people to enjoy some food, listen to music, and share stories, with a time of remembrance starting at 2 p.m..

Arrangements entrusted to the Davey-Linklater Funeral Home, Kincardine, Ontario, N2Z 1Z5, 519-396-2701.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Women’s House Serving Bruce and Grey, the Kinetic Knights (FRC Team 781), a local Home and School Association, or a charity of your choice.