Joe Younder ’56

Joe Younder is a lifelong, award-winning educator who taught at SMCS for 24 years. After growing up in Toronto, he attended SMCS in 1951 and later Assumption College at the University of Windsor. He began his teaching in elementary school and in 1961 was hired at SMCS, where he taught Latin and English. In 1975, he was appointed head of the English Department.

Younder served as an assistant coach with the St. Michael’s Minor Juvenile Hockey Team, which won the City Championship in 1963. In 1966, he became active in the Alumni Association, helping to promote various activities, including organizing the annual Turkey Roll & Reunion.

Younder was president of the Ontario Pro Con Forum Debating Society, a position he held for 35 years while building St. Mike’s into a debating powerhouse in Ontario. He later became active as a director and coach in the Ontario Student Debating Union. In 1996, he was selected as coach and moderator of the Ontario team at the Canadian finals held in Montreal and won gold.

In 1983, Younder was awarded the SMCS Old Boy of the Year Award and was nominated by the Toronto Sun as one of the Top Ten Teachers in Ontario in 1989. In 1992, Niagara University awarded him the Ontario Teacher of the Year for promoting debate and public speaking across the border.

Younder moved to Brebeuf College School in 1986, becoming Chairman of the English Department. After retirement, and having spent four summers teaching in Ireland, he went on to teach English for two and a half years in Italy.

In retirement, Younder became reengaged with the Alumni Association as an ambassador and served as editor of the Blue Banner alumni magazine from 2005 to 2011.

He lives in Aurora with his wife, Helen, and has four daughters, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.