On January 24th 2008 Holly Young lost her battle with cancer at age 22. Holly played for the Coastal Sand team in 2004. She was an inspiration to all of us and we will miss her greatly.
Holly Young passed away January 24, 2008 after a determined three year battle against Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare pediatric bone cancer, at the age of 22. She is survived by her parents, Bernard & Carolyn Young of Dennisport, sister Michelle Gill of Grande Isle, VT, surrogate grandmother Josephine Ives of Chatham, faithful friend Matt Martinez of Sandwich, uncles/aunts Mike & Mickey Young of Ohio, Gerard & Mary Lussier of Iowa, and Bob & Marie Lussier of Massachusetts, and cousins.
She enjoyed country music, comedy, gourmet cooking, and the Red Sox.
Holly trained with her sister at Cape Cod Gymnastics for six years before turning to school sports of soccer, tennis, and track and field. She began running at the Tuesday evening Dennis Conservation runs, and participated in Dennis’ Johnny Kelley Road Race, Brewster in Bloom, Brewster Brew Run, Women Running Wild, and Hyannis Road races for several years. She also participated in triathlons.
It was at DY High School that Holly took a serious interest in volleyball, working on her jumping and hitting. She played elbows above the net and developed a thunderous kill, playing for Cape Cod Juniors, Pilgrim, and Coastal volleyball clubs. She led the Coastal region team to the Bay State Games Championship in 2003. Later that year she received the Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Scholastic awards, and the MIAA Coaches Award. She applied her jumping ability from volleyball and road racing experience to high jump, hurdles, and relays in track and field. She was a Dennis lifeguard and assistant supervisor during the summers.
Holly attended the University of New Hampshire studying marketing and was a member of the volleyball team there at the time of her diagnosis during her first semester. She completed three semesters, interrupted by chemotherapy, but continued to work out with the volleyball and diving teams. During her illness, she enjoyed the encouraging support of amateur and professional volleyball players around the world
Holly enjoyed the Red Sox, and through their generosity to the Jimmy Fund Clinic, she attended spring training and an away game each year with other patients. She finished one chemotherapy session and went to the ring ceremony on opening day, 2005. Later that year she would again finish chemotherapy and travel with other Jimmy Fund patients to an away game. In TV interviews during these trips, as well as the annual telethon, she was an articulate spokesman for the Jimmy Fund Clinic.
The family will receive friends on Monday, January 28, at the Morris and O’Connor Funeral Home, 58 Long Pond Drive, South Yarmouth , MA 02664, from 4 to 8 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday, January 29 at Our Lady of the Cape Church , 468 Stony Brook Rd. , Brewster , MA 02631 at 11 AM.
Her family asks that in lieu of other memorials, her friends consider a donation to Solid Tumor Research, Jimmy Fund Clinic, 44 Binney St. , Boston MA 02115 , or to the Holly Young Volleyball Scholarship Fund, c/o Guidance Dept, DY Regional High School, 210 Station Ave , S. Yarmouth MA 02664 .
