Bryan YoungIn addition, a memorial account has been established at Republic Bank & Trust. Donations can be made to the "Bryan Young Memorial Fund" and dropped off at any Republic Banking Center or mailed to P.O. Box 5369, Norman, OK 73070.
Young was found shot multiple times at his Norman home about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. He later died at a local hospital.
Minutes later, Norman Fire Department responded to a report of a house fire. Inside, first responders found Cayann Patterson, 49, fatally shot multiple times. Young had served as Patterson's attorney as she sought a divorce from her estranged husband, 55-year-old Timothy Michael Deffner, who killed himself in front of police the next day.
Patterson had filed a protective order against Deffner in 2015.
Born in March 1969, Bryan Young grew up in suburban Cincinnati, where he played baseball as a young kid with Ken Griffey Jr. Young was a five-sport athlete at Greenhills High School, where was a three-time All-League and three-time All-City wrestler for the Pioneers. He was welcomed into the school district's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012.
After graduating from Greenhills High in 1987, Young's family moved to Oklahoma, where he was awarded a scholarship to wrestle for the Oklahoma Sooners and head coach Stan Abel. It was at OU that Young met his future wife Lisa, a gymnast at the school.
Chance Leonard, one of Young's wrestling teammates at Oklahoma, offered this tribute on Facebook: "Bryan was a dedicated husband, father and teammate as well as an excellent example. He was passionate and determined and utilized what he learned on the mat to create a successful professional career and positively impact people's lives."
Bryan Young had a diverse professional career after graduating from the University of Oklahoma, encompassing horse racing, education and the law.
Stan Ward of Ward & Glass, the Norman-based law firm where Young was employed, told The Oklahoman -- the daily newspaper for Oklahoma City -- that Young's fellow wrestlers suggested he should become a jockey, because he was so small.
"He had never ridden a horse in his life, but he tried it and liked it. He raced as a jockey for nine years, before an accident in which he broke his neck," Ward said.
Young then used his doctorate in education to become a teacher, coach and eventually principal at Norman North High School, according to Ward.
Young was employed by the Norman Public Schools for 17 years, including five years as principal at Norman North. While with the school district in Oklahoma's third-largest city, Young also coached soccer, wrestling, track and cross country.
Dr. Joe Siano, superintendent of Norman Public Schools, released the following statement:
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of Bryan Young, a former principal at Norman North High School, who was a tremendous asset during his time in our district. Bryan was a respected colleague and friend and he will be remembered as a ferocious advocate for students. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and the many people in our community who knew him."
Barb Young, Bryan's aunt who still lives in Greenhills, said her nephew demonstrated a love of kids from an early age.
"Because of his personality and his desire, true desire, to get involved and advocate for children, he made a huge difference in their lives," Barb Young told WLWT, the NBC affiliate in Cincinnati.
After nearly two decades in education, Young entered a new career field as an attorney, having graduated from the School of Law at Oklahoma City University in 2012, according to his biography at Ward & Glass Law, where he was employed until his murder.
"I have never met a more upbeat, positive person with such a great attitude. He was well-loved. This is a horrible, horrible thing that has happened," Stan Ward of Ward & Glass said of his former associate.
Here's how Clay Horning, sports editor at the Norman Transcript, described Young in a tribute Wednesday.
"Bryan was a force of nature. Intense. Charismatic. Passionate. Intense. Friendly. Interested. Engaged. Intense. And, you know, intense."
Bryan Young is survived by his wife Lisa, and their five-year-old son Braxton.
Memorial Mass of Christian Burial for Young will be held Monday, Feb. 13 at 5 p.m. at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church, 3939 W Tecumseh Road in Norman. That same night, a candlelight vigil will be held in Greenhills, Ohio at the Greenhills Commons at 7 p.m.
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