LaVaughn Franklin Taylor

LaVaughn Franklin (Bill) Taylor was born in Hedrick, Iowa to Carlton and Verna Taylor. In 1926, his family moved to Southern Minnesota. He attended Garden City Minnesota Grade School and High School, graduating in 1941. He was a member of both the High School basketball and football teams. In 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserve and served in the South Pacific. He was assigned to an LCM and was in the Amphibious Landings on the Marshall Islands, on Guam, Tinian; and Saipan. Later, he served abroad the U.S.S Stormes, DD780, off the coast of Okinawa. There the ship was damaged by a Japanese Kamikaze. He was discharged from the Navy in November 1945. He married Phyllis Crane in Garden City on April 25, 1943. After his discharge from the Navy, he worked in the T.G. Crane Hardware in Garden City, MN. In 1956, they moved their family to Scottsdale, AZ. Mr. Taylor was employed was employed at the International Harvester Proving Ground in Phoenix from 1956 to 1960, when he became a Territory Service Manager for the company and was transferred to City of Industry, California. They made their home in Upland, California. In 1962, he was transferred back to Scottsdale, where they lived until his retirement in 1982. He is survived by his wife, 3 sons, Thomas (Pat) of Scottsdale, Lawrence (Paulette) of Mesa, and Donald (Neta) of Garden City; 3 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren; brother-in-law Donald Cranes of Garden City; 3 nieces and 3 nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, 2 sisters, 2 brothers and 1 great-grandchild. Mr. Taylor was a member of First Baptist Church of Scottsdale, and was a volunteer at the Mayo Clinic. We will always remember how he enjoyed boating and water skiing with his boys, and traveling in their R.V. A visitation will be held at 4pm on Thursday, June 23, 2016 at Green Acres Mortuary: 401 N. Hayden Rd. Scottsdale, AZ, Mr. Taylor will then be laid to rest in Minnesota.