Edd W. Taylor

On August 9, 1927, Edd Wren Taylor was born in Brooklyn, New York the only child of Zack and Marguerite Taylor. Edd went to Heaven to join his beloved wife Joan on May 16th 2012. Edd was a wonderful father and consummate family man. He was known for making people smile and laugh with an endless supply of “corny” jokes. Edd’s sense of humor was very effective in breaking the ice with everyone he met and putting them at ease.

Edd was an educator most of his life and had an illustrious 33 year career with Orange County schools. He was a teacher, a principal and finally an administrator. As a teacher, Edd enjoyed working directly with kids to mold and shape them to be model citizens.

Edd was a firm believer that everyone deserved to be treated with dignity. From the school superintendent to the custodian, Edd would treat everyone the way he wanted to be treated. In every respect, Edd was the personification of loving your neighbor as much as yourself.

Edd and Joan were the beloved parents of 6 of the most fortunate of children and five wonderful grandchildren.

Until all of the Taylors are reunited in Heaven, Edd and Joan will be sorely missed.

-Written by Chris Taylor

Farewell to Edd and Joan Taylor

We buried our father Edd Taylor on Sunday May 20, 2012. Nearly six years had elapsed since the passing of our mother Joan Taylor on July 26, 2006. Their bodies have been laid to rest side-by-side, nearby the graves of both their parents. We know Edd and Joan are reunited in Heaven.

Our greatest loss is no longer having the opportunity to be physically present with them. (Now I converse with Mom and Dad in prayer and I trust Dad’s guiding hand will remain on my shoulder for the rest of my life.)

‘Blessed is the man who hears many gentle voices calling him Father.’ Edd was surrounded by the gentle voices of his loved ones during his later years, as was our mother Joan. I am grateful to my sister Jill and to my brothers Mark, Chris, Erik and Tony, along with their wives and children, for all their affection and attention to Edd and Joan. I also thank my wife Caryl, both my sons Jason and Alex, as well as my mother-in-law Pat and my brother-in-law Bruce for their kindness to Edd and Joan over the years.

I have lived in the New York City metro area with my wife and sons for nearly three decades. (Most of my siblings reside in Central Florida, our original home.) Reviewing our family photos, I notice that, while I appear in many of them, the number is fewer than I would like. I regret having missed opportunities to spend more time with Edd and Joan.

I know Dad never held my less frequent visits against me because he loved me with a father’s love: unconditionally. But I have learned, the hard way, that you may not have as many opportunities as you suppose, or would like to have, when it comes to spending time with loved ones.

Dad never told me how I should live. He lived and let me watch him do it. A few weeks before his death, he did share with me how proud he was of me: “You went up there (to New York) with nothing, without knowing a soul. You stayed and made a success of yourself. You married a sweet girl and raised two wonderful sons you can be proud of, as I am proud of you.” I will treasure those words always.

During my last visit, I took the opportunity to tell Edd how much I loved him and how I appreciated all he and Joan had done for me in my growing-up years. He explained: “We did the best we could.” I told him not to worry or wonder whether things might have turned out better. I assured him that all was well between us. Upon leaving him that day, he asked me to promise I would return soon. He passed away a few weeks later.

Six years prior to this, I was extremely fortunate to enjoy a similar, timely visit with Edd and Joan while Mom was still alive. I took that opportunity to tell Joan how I loved her with all my heart and how grateful I was for the loving-kindness she had always shown me. She also passed away soon afterwards.

Dad taught us many life lessons by his example but, in my opinion, the best one was this: ‘The most important gift a father can give his children is to love their mother.’ How he loved our mother Joan. I sincerely hope that I loved my wife of 27 years nearly as well as Edd loved Joan during their 50-plus years together.

Edd and Joan – you are greatly missed. We take comfort in knowing you are both at peace. May you experience pure joy and perfect health in the presence of our Lord and Savior: Jesus Christ. We hope and trust we will join you one day, and that our family circle will be unbroken.

-Written by Peter Taylor