Richard Taylor

Richard E. Taylor passed at the age of 89 on March 3, 2022, at his residence in Melbourne, Florida. He is predeceased by his wife, Vondalyn Taylor, and survived by their three children, Richard M. Taylor and partner, Peg Close, Susan L. Taylor, and Keturah T. Mazo as well as his son-in law Richard Mazo, and his two grandchildren, Sofia E. Mazo and Richard A. Mazo II, all of Melbourne, FL. He is also survived by many doting siblings and nieces and nephews throughout Florida. As a family, we would all like to thank his caregivers, Ashley Stake, Tania Musson, Tianna Ciano, and Remona Thomas for being so supportive in his final days.

Richard grew up in Zanesville, Ohio, where he met his wife, Vondalyn at a dance. His early career included insurance sales until the family moved to South Florida in the 1960s. There he attended Nova Southeastern University earning his accounting degree, while working full time and raising a family. He was employed as a bail bondsman for a brief time before being hired as a financial officer for The Seminole Nation and the government under the JFK Administration. He worked alongside the Osceola family to bring government aid to the reservation, most notably Head Start pilot programs. The memories and friendships he made here had a profound lifetime impact on him.

Later in the 1960s, he moved to Central Florida to pursue his accounting career at a large bookkeeping practice. In the early 1970s, he moved to Brevard County to build his own accounting firm alongside his wife, Vondalyn. He continued Taylor Accounting until his daughter, Susan took over the practice. Throughout the years, he made personal friendships not only of his clients and neighbors, but also of members of the local Accountants’ Association in town. Patrons of the arts, he and his wife were also avid King Center, Henegar Center, and Brevard Symphony Orchestra supporters for many years. His most recent community endeavor was sitting on his housing landscaping committee for a year.

His Celebration of Life service will be held at Kol Mashiach Messianic Synagogue, 1621 Lake Washington Road, Melbourne, FL 32935 on Sunday, March 20, 2022, at 1 pm.

Should you choose, in lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate to one of the following causes:

Lucky Dog Animal Rescue or Arbor Day Foundation Memorial Trees.