TV quiz king Cary Young dies in Wheelers Hill aged 83

The man who became a household name after winning 60 episodes of Sale of the Century has died surrounded by family in Melbourne.

Cary Young in the Holden Piazza he won on Sale of the Century in 1986.

The man who became known as the TV quiz king of Sale of the Century after winning more than 60 episodes has died, aged 83.

Cary Young, who became a household name during his time on the 80s and 90s game show, died peacefully at Nellie Melba Village in Wheelers Hill with his family by his side after a battle with Alzheimer’s.

His daughter Michelle Young said her father, then an abattoir worker, went on Sale of the Century because he wanted to make his life better for his family.

“People just had this affection for him because he was just this very average person next door type, he wasn’t an academic or professional, he was working in the meatworks when he went on there, and he saw an opportunity to make a better life for his family,” she said.

Cary Young won 60 episodes of Sale of the Century.

Born in New Zealand, Cary developed a love for learning as a child during lengthy stints in hospital during the school year due to bouts of asthma.

He went on to become an amateur boxer turned backpacker who spent time in Queensland where he met his wife Lyn, before they moved to Melbourne in 1984 to be more available to the show.

“Whilst living in Queensland dad saw an opportunity on this show Sale of the Century and he thought he could use some of his knowledge and things he loved which then became a new chapter of his life,” his daughter said.

Brydon Coverdale, also known as ‘The Shark’ on Channel 7’s ‘The Chase Australia’, paid tribute to the significance of Young’s achievements on Sale of the Century.

“Everybody watched it and he became a really recognisable face on Australian television throughout that era, despite the fact that he was just a normal everyday person,” he said.

“He would go through encyclopaedias and sources and write a whole list of names and memorise them.

Young became a recognisable face on Australian television.

“When he first went on the show there were more than 1400 names on this list and he’d memorised every single one.”

Throughout his quizzing career Young gave multiple prizes to charitable organisations and later wrote the quiz column for the Herald Sun from 2000 to 2006.

He was known for his athlete-style approach and preparation, going for runs every day and practising his buzzer-reflex skills at home.

“When he was watching the show at home with his wife, Lyn would have her feet up on his lap and he would squeeze her feet as a practice buzzer … he would keep score on a piece of paper to see if he would have beaten the players on TV,” Coverdale said.

Young is survived by his wife Lyn, children Michelle and Peter, and his five grandchildren.