Young Living Founder D. Gary Young Passes Away

CEO Mary Young and President & COO Jared Turner Will Continue to Run the Business

LEHI, Utah, May 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- D. Gary Young (July 11, 1949 – May 12, 2018), the founder and chairman of the board of Young Living Essential Oils, passed away at the age of 68 in Salt Lake City, due to complications following a series of strokes, the company announced.

Young Living also announced that chief executive officer, Mary Young, and Jared Turner, president and chief operating officer, will continue to run the billion-dollar enterprise.

"This is a very difficult time for our boys and me but also for our Young Living family," said Mary Young. "Sharing the amazing benefits of essential oils with people around the world was a passion that Gary and I shared. It's why we built Young Living. To continue that mission and carry that legacy into the future, in recent years we have been recruiting and developing a truly world-class executive team. Gary had the utmost confidence in Jared to lead our talented team and was at peace that the company is well-positioned to follow the path he envisioned."

The undisputed leader of the global essential oil movement, Young spent 35 years studying the benefits and perfecting the extraction of essential oils, while building a billion-dollar global business designed to share what he deemed "the gift" of essential oils with millions of people.

Described as a "modern pioneer," Young was part innovator and part historian. His pursuit of wellness discoveries was rooted in ancient practices as he sought to unlock and share the benefits bestowed by essential oils from herbs, plants, and trees. His research would take him to the remote corners of the Earth and often back in time to better understand the many wellness-supporting benefits of natural essential oils overlooked by modern society. 

After learning about essential oils in the 1980s, Young journeyed to France, where he studied and learned everything he could about essential oils—from how the plants were grown and distilled to the wellness benefits of the oils produced. 

Upon his return to the United States, he planted a field of lavender behind his office in Spokane, Washington, from seeds he acquired while in France and started his farm in St. Maries, Idaho, in 1992. Gary began planting different aromatic crops in his desire to understand growth, cultivation, and oil extraction. He built two small distillers for his first extractions at the farm and then in 1994 built his first stainless steel stationary steam distillery. He wanted to teach and educate, so he decided to start Young Living Essential Oils in 1993 and incorporated it in 1994 in Utah. 

It was Young's passion for quality, dedication to the company's customers, and innovation in pioneering the essential oils movements that has propelled Young Living from a small company almost 25 years ago to a global enterprise with more than 16 corporate and partner farms, over 3,000 employees, and well over 4 million customers all over the world today.

"Young Living will continue to honor Gary's life's work of sharing essential oils and their benefits with people around the world," said Jared Turner. "Over the years, he and I have had many discussions about his vision for the future of the company, and we are determined to follow the path that he set forward for Young Living." 

Young created a purpose-driven culture for his company, one that's motivated by a desire to serve the global community and to inspire employees and customers around the world. 

Through the D. Gary Young, Young Living Foundation, the company's members and employees travel around the world to work hand-in-hand with local communities. One of Young's proudest accomplishments was building the Young Living Academy, a school in Chongon, Ecuador, for children of this rural community at the edge of the jungle and for the children of the employees who worked at the farm. 

The funeral will be held at 1 p.m. MT, on Friday, May 18, at the Whispering Springs Lavender Farm and Distillery, one of Gary's favorite spots in the world. The farm is located at 3700 Old Highway 91, Mona, UT 84645.

A viewing will be held at the farm before the funeral from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. MT.

Young Living will also announce plans for a ceremony to honor the life of its founder.

Donations in Young's honor can be made to the D. Gary Young, Young Living Foundation to continue his life's work of serving the global community.

About Young Living Essential Oils

Young Living Essential Oils, LC, is the world leader in essential oils, with a strict Seed to Seal® program that produces pure essential oil products for every individual, family, and lifestyle. This process ensures that all products are genuine, free of synthetic chemicals, and pure. This commitment stems from the company's more than 24 years of stewardship toward the earth and its people. For more information, visit YoungLiving.com.

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SOURCE Young Living Essential Oils