Crete leaders remember Police Chief Gary Young Jr. who died suddenly

The Crete community is mourning the loss of longtime law enforcement leader Gary Young Jr., whose sudden death has left colleagues, city leaders and residents reflecting on more than four decades of public service.

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Crete leaders remember Police Chief Gary Young Jr. as they prepare for funeral

CRETE, Neb. —

Young served with the Crete Police Department for 41 years, including the past four years as police chief. During his career, he graduated from the FBI National Academy, where he further developed his leadership and law enforcement training.

“Cops love him. He was just that guy,” Crete Police Department acting Chief Jon Pucket said.

Mayor Dave Bauer said Young’s death left the community devastated.

“I got the news Sunday morning that he had actually had the heart attack and then again Monday evening when I got the news that he actually had passed, and I was just in shock,” Bauer said. “There’s definitely a void there. The people in the community realize that.”

Pucket said Young’s attributes went well beyond his role in uniform.

“He was a great father, a great husband, a great son, a great grandfather, a great friend,” he said.

Known for stopping to talk with nearly everyone he met, Young built relationships across the city of about 7,800 residents.

“We called him a flibbertigibbet,” Pucket said. “Nobody wanted to go with him anywhere in the same car because he talks to absolutely everybody. He never met a stranger.”

Bauer echoed that sentiment.

“I have not run across anyone that didn’t know Gary,” he said.

Inside the police department, colleagues say the loss is especially noticeable. The music Young regularly played through the office has fallen silent, and his office now sits with flowers on the desk and an empty chair.

“The only way to kind of capture that is for us that knew him and that were around him, and that were taught by him, to try to set the example and push forward with what he was doing,” Pucket said.

Young’s funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 3, in Crete. He will be interred at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery afterwards.

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