Jeffery Younger

The Spirit of Jeff 

Jeffrey (Jeff) Paul Younger passed away peacefully in Calgary, Alberta, on August 15, 2026, surrounded by the love of his family. Over the past seven years, Jeff underwent three open-heart surgeries. During his most recent surgery, he suffered a massive stroke from which he could not recover. While we mourn his loss, we are deeply grateful for the life he lived, the people he loved, and the countless memories he created along the way. Jeff will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 50 years, Norma; his daughters, Katy (Ross Mann) and Christine; his grandchildren, Ryan and Amy Mann; and his sister, Susan Found. We will be eternally grateful to the staff of Unit 94 at Foothills Medical Centre for their extraordinary dedication, compassion, and care of Jeff and our family during each of these traumatic events. 

The Early Years

Jeff was born on January 4, 1955, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Fred and Muriel (Myrt) Younger. Every New Year, Jeff made sure everyone knew that his birthday was just around the corner. And from an early age, he made sure no one ever forgot him. To say Jeff was rambunctious would be putting it mildly. To keep him busy—and perhaps somewhat out of trouble—he was introduced to sports and encouraged to take on part-time jobs. When he wasn’t playing team sports, he delivered newspapers, babysat, and worked in grocery stores. That combination of energy, competitiveness, determination, and a willingness to get involved would become a defining part of Jeff’s life. 

Football 

Jeff had a lifelong passion for football. He played with the St. Vital Mustangs from 1969 to 1977, including five championship teams. In 1979, he began sharing his love of the game through coaching and executive roles with the Mustangs, the Manitoba Bantam Football League, and the Manitoba Football Coaches Association. His commitment to football was recognized when he was inducted into the St. Vital Mustangs Hall of Fame four times—three times as a player on championship teams and once in the Builder category. When the family moved to Airdrie, Alberta, in 1994, it didn’t take long for football to find Jeff again. He realized that Airdrie didn’t have a community football team, so in 1995 he founded the Airdrie Storm Bantam team. Jeff never simply watched from the sidelines. If he loved something, he got involved, brought people together, and helped build something that others could enjoy. 

Jeff and Norma 

Jeff and Norma were high school sweethearts, graduating together from Glenlawn High School. They married and bought their first home in St. Vital in 1976. It was a small house that needed plenty of work. With the help of the older generation, Jeff turned that house into a home—a home filled with friends, family, laughter, and many memorable parties. It was also the first home for Katy and Christine. Only Jeff could turn unemployment into a positive experience. He spent nine months at home with Katy and Christine when they were infants, making the most of the opportunity to be there with his girls. He enjoyed taking them to the St. Vital YMCA and even found time to volunteer at the pool. Jeff and Norma were the quintessential example of how opposites attract. Their differences opened the door to a lifetime of new experiences for both of them. Norma learned to love football and riding on the back of Jeff’s motorcycle. Jeff, in turn, learned to appreciate the arts. Together they enjoyed live theatre, ballet, and collecting artwork. And Jeff took great pleasure in surprising people when he told them that he not only had season tickets to the ballet—he actually enjoyed the performances. 

CFL Football, Friends and the Grey Cup 

Jeff and Norma shared a love of CFL football and held season tickets for almost 50 years, first in Winnipeg and later in Calgary. After attending the 1987 Grey Cup in Vancouver, they were hooked. Jeff attended 36 Grey Cups, which he proudly called “Canada’s Party.” Grey Cup weekend was an event in itself. He would kick things off with the Spirit of Edmonton party and then spend the next four days gathering with friends, attending events, watching football, and making memories. Over those decades, Jeff built friendships across the country. Many of those friendships became lifelong connections. For Jeff, football was never just about the game. It was about the people, the stories, the traditions, and the fun that surrounded it. 

A Working Life 

Jeff’s career evolved many times over the years. After high school he worked for Gyproc, hauling drywall, and for Metal-Pac, manufacturing chimneys. Looking to open new career opportunities, he attended Red River Community College and earned certification in Commercial and Industrial Sales and Marketing. One of his early sales positions involved selling fireplaces. When the market changed, he was asked whether he would consider installing them instead. Of course, Jeff said yes. He quickly learned the installation side of the business and eventually branched out on his own as a self-employed fireplace installer. He was often heard to say: “I put the chimney on that house!” When installing fireplaces became too physically demanding, Jeff returned to sales and eventually finished his working career as a driver at Adesa Car Auctions. Jeff wasn’t afraid of change. He learned, adapted, tried something new, and kept moving forward. 

The Adventures 

After retiring in 2012, Jeff and Norma embraced retirement with enthusiasm and travelled extensively, crossing many items off their bucket list. They took three major bus tours through Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. In 2016, they visited Paris, Venice, and Rome before finishing the trip with a Mediterranean cruise. In 2017, they travelled to Romania and Germany. And then there were the motorcycle adventures. Guided and unguided motorcycle tours took Jeff and Norma all over Canada, the United States, and Mexico. They travelled Route 66 and rode the Tail of the Dragon, taking in the spectacular scenery of Arizona, New Mexico, and many places in between. In 2025, they explored Newfoundland and Labrador and revisited the Cabot Trail by motorcycle. Jeff never seemed particularly interested in simply going somewhere. He wanted to experience it. 

Golf, Motorcycles and a Few Stories 

When Jeff took up golf, he made quite an impression. He would arrive at the golf course on his motorcycle with his golf clubs strapped to the back seat. Because, apparently, there was no reason to choose between two of his favourite pastimes when he could combine them. Golf was always about having fun with friends rather than simply keeping score but when Jeff got a hole-in-one, everyone heard about it. Jeff often said that his “drinking team had a golf problem.” That pretty much summed up his approach: the people, the laughter, and the stories were often more important than the score. 

His Greatest Pride 

As much as Jeff loved football, motorcycles, golf, travel, the arts, and bringing people together, his ultimate pride and joy was his family. First came his daughters, Katy and Christine. Then came his son-in-law, Ross, and his grandchildren, Ryan and Amy. Nothing made Jeff happier than watching his family grow, learn, and succeed. He took enormous pride in attending their games, recitals, concerts, graduations, and convocations. And he never missed an opportunity to tell anyone who would listen about their accomplishments. He was their biggest fan. And they were at the centre of his world. 

The Spirit of Jeff 

Jeff had a gift for bringing people together. He loved organizing events, gathering with friends and family, telling stories, sharing a laugh, and making sure everyone was having a good time. He had an energy that filled a room and a personality that was impossible to ignore. He lived a life full of people, experiences, adventures, laughter, sports, travel, family, and friendship. Jeff and Norma celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in March 2026, surrounded by family, old friends, and new friends. It was a fitting celebration of a remarkable partnership and a lifetime of shared memories. We will celebrate Jeff’s life on Thursday, November 12 from 11 am to 4 pm at Woodside Golf Course, 525 Woodside Drive NW, Airdrie, Alberta. If you are able, please drop in at The Spirit of Jeff, commemorating his love for the Grey Cup, golf, his family, his friends, and the joy he found in bringing people together. Wear your favorite jersey and bring your best Jeff story. We don’t say goodbye only with sadness. We remember Jeff with laughter. We remember his stories. We remember his determination. We remember the motorcycle, the golf clubs, the football games, the Grey Cups, the travels, the parties, and—of course—the stories he told. Most of all, we remember a husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend, coach, storyteller, adventurer, and lifelong fan who made his mark on the lives of so many people. That is Jeff’s spirit. And that spirit will live on in all of us. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the charity of your choice in Jeff’s name.