Cecilia Ann Younce

Cecilia Ann Younce, of Santa Cruz, California, passed away on Monday, June 9 at the age of 75. She was born on February 26, 1950 in Ypsilanti Michigan and grew up nearby. Cil, or Liz as she most recently was called, graduated from Plymouth High School, and started her college years at Wayne State University in the heart of Detroit. Two years into her studies, she had the opportunity to work for renowned photographer Barbara Morgan, and moved to New York City to take over the job of Barbara’s assistant. As such, she enjoyed meeting other photographers, Ms. Morgan’s peers, and was excited to travel throughout the US and at least once to Paris. Cil had been studying photography at Wayne State and wholeheartedly embraced her role as helper to Ms. Morgan, printing photos, running errands, facilitating travel, whatever the job called for. Later Cil completed her degree in photography at The New School in New York, a source of pride to her all her adult life. She worked for many years as a producer of commercial films, created for annual business meetings, and again had the opportunity to travel.

Once a resident of California, Cil continued in her job briefly then accepted the position of director of the Stanford Children’s Hospital thrift shop. In recent years Cil worked at the Santa Cruz Public Library used book room, a job she adored, and most recently at perhaps her most favorite job of all, the Grey Bears Recycling Center, where she felt an intense sense of purpose and community.

Horses were her love from an early age. Ginger was her first, then she graduated to a gorgeous five-gaited saddlebred, Rampant, a horse she owned twice. Several horses were leased over the years, including a beast named Lothar. Lastly, she fell into ownership of a beautiful Dutch warmblood, Leo, who challenged her skills, which she both struggled with and welcomed. She loved many dogs in her life as well, starting with a family beagle, Patches. Flossy was with her in Detroit, and in Palo Alto Tina and Elvis. The last two canine companions were Monty, a Jack Russell, and Stella, a corgi/border collie mix.

Cil was a lifelong supporter of the arts, she loved music, dance, and art in general. Her goal in the past few years was to occupy her free time with painting whenever possible. She was especially proud of her work with a group in Santa Cruz, who’s initiative to raise awareness of homelessness through art culminated in a book published by the group. One of her passions was travel along Highway 1 to Big Sur, she took the trip with many different people over the years, reveling in the beauty of that route, so glad to have made the trip to Carmel and back each time.

Cil was proceeded in death by her mother Shirley, father Clyde, sister Karen, and brother Perry. She is survived by sister Mary McFarland (Don) of Livonia, MI, brother Marty Younce (Terry), of Ann Arbor, MI, sister Marilyn Younce of Eugene, OR, sister Cindy Fleming (Randy), of Mineral Point, WI, and sister Cory Sultana (Matt) of Plymouth, MI. She adored her many nieces and nephews.

As anyone who knew Cil was aware, she had a constant in her life, starting when she was 15, heart disease coupled with periods of heart failure, culminating over the years in three valve replacements, and numerous other surgeries and procedures. She was the recipient of a heart transplant in 2014. She demonstrated an incredible will and courage throughout, aware of the blessings of so many remarkable and compassionate health care personnel, and friends and family who were there to help her along the way. She made friends everywhere and seemed to remember every person who ever helped her, usually remembering their family members as well. Her family is grateful to everyone who facilitated her day to day life, it was a long and lovely journey overall, she never gave up, navigating every difficulty, then ready for the next outing, lunch with a friend, or time at the table with paints. Please consider a donation to Grey Bears in her honor or one of the many homeless shelters in Santa Cruz.