New Orleans Opera has announced the death of Joseph Young Jr. at the age of 96.

Born on 1929, Young was the first Board Member Emeritus of the New Orleans Opera Association in recognition of his extraordinary service. For several periods over the long tenure of his leadership as President of the New Orleans Opera Association, Young almost acted as Executive Director as well as President, single-handedly managing fundraising, outreach, and much of the non-staged administration of the organization.

Many of NOOA’s donor organizations from the Mastersigners to the Opera Club were innovations that Young envisioned and implemented. As one of his closest friends and longtime Opera supporter Bill Coe said, “By sheer will of his personality, he made the “men’s club” of the Opera a great success, providing a great source of (new association) membership for Opera enthusiasts.”

He added, “He was incredibly loyal to his friends. He was always looking for the good things in people, and he was always trying to make the people around him better people. He would get involved in various civic activities with the goal of improving whatever organization he was working with. He wanted to get people involved, and he would never join any effort to highlight himself. He would always think of the good of the organization, never needing any recognition.”

New Orleans Opera Association President Jay Gulotta remembered, “Joe had a gift for relationships. For an organization like the Opera, his ability to attract friends and supporters was itself a gift. It was a force multiplier that extended beyond his personal generosity—which itself was extraordinary. Joe is irreplaceable. He will be missed by all who knew him.”