PR Society of America leaders and staff joined with family members of Arthur Yann this morning to remember him as a devoted husband and father and accomplished PR practitioner at the Society, where he headed PR.

Yann died suddenly June 13 on his way home via the train to Fairfield, Conn., from New York.

yannBill Murray, president of the Society, said he had "one of the toughest jobs in PR." He praised Yann's "quick sense of humor, his powerful intellect and his passion for work which were reflected in his attention to detail as well as his commitment to excellence."

The eulogy was given today at St. Thomas Aquinas church, Fairfield, by John Redinger, a fraternity brother of Yann in Beta Theta Pi.

Had Quick Sense of Humor

Redinger said he and Yann were best friends of each other, each serving as best man at the other's wedding.

He said the "pride and joy" of Yann's life was his three-year-old daughter, Sofia Claire.

He said Yann was the "kind of guy if you did not know him, you wanted to know him." He was a "master of cracking wise" and had a "quick wit" who often had "biting remarks" to make.

"If you mis-used a word," it would be noted by Yann, he said.

"If you want to keep Art's memory alive, make jokes, see the humor in the absurd and bust chops," said Redinger.

He referred to the Rolling Stones as Yann’s favorite musical group. His other loves were the beach and golf.

Present for the service were 160 members of his family, friends and business associates.

Yann, a graduate of Ohio University with a B.S. in journalism, started his career in 1986 at Nichol and Co., New York, headed by Betsy Nichol. He was with the firm until its purchase by Cramer Krasselt Advertising, Chicago, in 2003. He became a senior VP and head of the CKPR operation in New York at the former Nichol offices, remaining until 2006. [She left the PR industry for www.betsynichol.com.]

Yann was a SVP at HealthStar PR until 2008, when he joined the PR Society as VP-PR.

Surviving are his wife, Amy Boughton Yann and their daughter, Sofia Claire, three. The family has asked that contributions be made in Yann's honor to Sofia's college fund, College America FBO Sofia Yann, American Funds Service Co., P.O. Box 2713, Norfolk, VA 23501-2713.

Condolences can be left online at www.codywhitefuneralservice.com.