John was born on June 2, 1947. He graduated from Hamilton Taft High School, class of 1966. After graduation he joined the Navy (Aug. 1966 to June 1970) serving on the USS Intrepid, also known as the Fighting “I”. During the Vietnam War he was deployed twice to the Gulf of Tonkin as a ship-to-shore Water Transport Operator and as part of the Underwater Demolition Team. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with one Campaign Star, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal w/device, and the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon. Preceding him in death was his brother, Robert L. Taylor Jr.; father, Robert L. Taylor; and brother-in-law, Jack Harmeyer. He is survived by his mother, Marilyn J. (Cramer) Taylor of Hamilton; sister, Marilou R. (Taylor) Harmeyer of Columbus; brother, Harry J. (LeEtta) Taylor of Hamilton; brother, Michael L. (Robin) Taylor of Burlington, KY; and sister, Marilyn ‘Jeanne’ Taylor of Hamilton; his special granddaughter, Zoe VanNest, who gave him so much love and joy; 15 nieces and nephews; and numerous great-nieces and great-nephews. After his Navy career, Mr. Taylor worked at Pease Company; Hamilton Tool Company, compiling several years at both. He went to AA/NA and was clean for over 30 years. He went to college to become an NA/AA counselor to help others. At U.C. Graduate School he earned a degree in “Master of Social Work”; State of Ohio: Counselor, Social Worker, Marriage and Family Therapist Board was certified as a “Registered Social Worker Assistant”; Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board: “Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor III”; The International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium he earned: “Internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor”. He went on to work in Butler County with ‘TASC’; ‘Butler County Judges Association’; ‘Community Behavioral Health’ and ‘Community First Solutions’ where after 20 years of service he retired in 2017. John was also a member of the Princeton Pike Church of God. He loved the Martial Arts, his softball team games, and golf. Most of all he loved his ‘Harley Davidson’ and riding with his brother and other friends. Special Thanks to Angela Taylor-Penn and Alexandra Taylor for all their hard work on their Uncle John’s Memorial Services. Also want to say thank you so much to all the people at VITAS Hospice Services for the loving care they gave our brother. John will certainly be missed! Visitation will be held at Webb Noonan Kidd Funeral Home on Saturday, August 18, 2018 from 10am until 12pm with Burial with Military Honors to follow at Rose Hill Burial Park in Hamilton.
