Hal Chris Young, 71

Hal Chris Young, 71, passed away June 21, 2024, at Aspirus Wausau Hospital in the Palliative Care unit after a brief illness, surrounded by his loving wife and family.

Hal was born on Sept. 15, 1952, in Madison, Wis., to the late Bernard and Helen (née Anderson) Young. He graduated from high school in Madison and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

From January 1976 to December 1978, he served in the U.S. Army, stationed in Germany. Hal worked for several restaurants, including Holiday Inn and Wisconsin River Country Club. He also worked in the oil fields in Wyoming and at Kimberly-Clark paper mill. He retired in 2021 from the Stevens Point Post Office, where he was employed for 20 years. Hal was a member of the 12 Apostles Musky Club.

More than anything, Hal was a devoted husband to Audrey Gawlik, the love of his life for 34 years. The couple married on March 7, 2009. They enjoyed traveling, camping in the Upper Peninsula, country drives, and discovering new lunch spots. Hal loved fishing for musky, bass, and walleye, and he enjoyed making musky lures, carving walking sticks, and wood burning. He played his guitars daily.

Hal is survived by his beloved wife, Audrey; his sons, Justin Young of New York and Daniel (Renee) Faust of Stevens Point; his daughter, Michelle (Buddy) Karpinski of Stevens Point; his grandchildren, Tyler (Jessica) Faust, Amanda Makuski, Caitlin Peterson, Jonathan Faust, Brittany Karpinski, Alex Karpinski, and Linsey Faust; and 11 great-grandchildren, Emma, Sophia, Alia, Hayden, Elizabeth, Ryleigh, Abigail, Ila, Oaklynn, Brycen, and Laynee. He is further survived by his sister, BeaJay (Fred) Panke.

Hal was preceded in death by his parents, Bernard and Helen, and his father and mother-in-law, Alex and Theresa (Koback) Gawlik.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 26, 2024, at Shuda Funeral Home, 3200 Stanley Street, Stevens Point. Friends and family are invited to gather and share memories at the funeral home on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and again on Wednesday from 10 a.m. until the time of service. Burial will follow at Guardian Angel Cemetery in Stevens Point with full military honors.