Kristina Maria Young, epidemiologist, professor, management consultant/trainer, business owner, author and volunteer, died May 6 after a brief illness. She was 72. A resident of Clarence, she grew up on Cambridge Avenue in Buffalo, attended St. Bartholomew’s Grammar School, Mt. St. Joseph’s High School and graduated from Canisius College in 1973.
After graduation, her first job was with the Erie County Health Dept following up on epidemics in Buffalo. That led to her becoming involved with Well Clinics and Prenatal and Infant Care. During this time she was working on her post graduate degree from UB. It was here that she met the future co-author of her book, Dr. Harry Sultz who was her teacher/advisor/mentor.
No longer wanting to deal with county and government politics and, by this time the private sector seeing her leadership potential, she entered the world of not-for-profits and became the director of Buffalo Planned Parenthood. Her stay there saw her grow the agency at which time she opened two satellite clinics besides the one downtown.
Her success at Planned Parenthood catapulted her into a new arena where she became the Director of the Millard Fillmore Foundation. Here she raised enormous amounts of money and spearheaded the Capital Campaign for the remodeling and expansion of Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital.
Following MFH, Kristina was the vice president at Buffalo General where she administrated the relationship of Buffalo General and Health Care Plan.
From there she worked for Bryant and Straton where she developed a new program of corporate training. After all this experience she then ventured into her own consulting business, Kristina Young and Associates, Inc.
Besides running her own business, she found the time to co-write a textbook entitled “Health Care USA” which is now used in hundreds of colleges and universities across the country. It was a continuous work in progress in that every two years it needed to be revised with updated statistics and new developments in the health care field. It is currently in its ninth edition.
In between running her own business and continually rewriting her book, she taught at Canisius College and at UB in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health where she helped the school form the new MPH (Masters of Public Health) program, offering key courses in the Health Services Administration MPH concentration. For 5 years, Kristina was also the CEO for the WNY Health Alliance which handles millions of dollars in grant money to improve health care and coordinates the health commissioners in the eight area WNY counties.
Her extensive volunteer activities included membership and leadership roles on the boards of directors of a wide array of community organizations, most recently being Child and Family Services, Gerard Place, Community Mental Health Counseling, and WNY Alzheimer’s Association. For many years in the past, she volunteered for the Catholic Guild for the Blind, rewriting their bylaws and mission statement.
Ms. Young has received awards for Exemplary Service to Families, Outstanding Community Service to Women, Outstanding Woman of the Year in Medicine, Outstanding Service to the Community of Western New York, and was selected as New York State Senate 2008 Woman of Distinction. Just this past week, Kristina’s brother accepted the John N. Walsh Board Appreciation Award from Child and Family Services on her behalf for her leadership roles during her 35 years of board service, including as Board Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary.
In her retirement and being an animal-lover, she completed therapy dog training with her dog, Buster, and SPCA Paws for Love certification. She spent the last few years of her life, taking Buster to nursing homes, hospitals, the airport, and even funeral parlors to bring comfort to others.
Despite her 24 hour-a-day work load, Kristina always found the time for everybody –from everyone's medical questions or legal issues, to her nieces career and educational guidance, to hosting numerous parties at her house for family members and traveling with her cousins or friends.
If Kristina could be described in one word it would be “dynamic”! She was comfortable in all settings – be it with a hard hat in a steel plant, to chairing a board meeting, to working in the garden, praying in church, teaching a class, attending a concert or traveling abroad.
Kris' father had a saying that “He was a jack of all trades but a master of none.” Kristina was a jack of all trades and a master of all.”
Kristina was the beloved sister of Jay Young (Ellen), and cherished aunt; also survived by several loving cousins, and was a devoted canine guardian of Buster and the late Scooby-Doo.
A Memorial Mass was celebrated May 13 at St. Mary’s RC Church in Swormville, NY.
Kristina M. Young – May 6, 2023 of Williamsville, NY. Daughter of the late Jacob and Marie Young; beloved sister of Jay Young (Ellen); cherished aunt of Hope Chavanne, (John); Heather Prestenberg and Hollie Young Parker, (late Riddick); dearest great aunt of Jacob and Ava Chavanne, Sophia Prestenberg, Olivia and Riddick Parker, III.; also survived by several loving cousins; devoted canine guardian of Buster and the late Scooby-Doo. Family will receive friends on Friday May 12th from 3-7 p.m. at the DENGLER, ROBERTS, PERNA FUNERAL HOME, 8630 Transit Rd., East Amherst, NY. A Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday May 13th, 10:30am at St. Mary’s RC Church, 6919 Transit Rd., East Amherst, NY 14051. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the charity of your choice. Kristina served on the Boards of Directors of Child & Family Services of Erie County, Gerard Place, CMH Counseling and The Alzheimer’s Association WNY Chapter and was a devoted volunteer in the SPCA Serving Erie County PAWS for LOVE therapy dog program. To view the Mass livestreamed please visit www.stmaryswormville.org.
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