Edward D Taylor Jr.

Ned was born in 1928 to Edward and Priscilla Taylor of Plainfield, NJ. He attended public grammar school before going to Loomis and graduating from the Riverdale Country Day School for Boys in 1947. He attended Trinity College, majoring in U.S. History and minoring in Economics. He served as president of his fraternity, Delta Kappa Epsilon, was elected to the Student Senate, and became a pinned member of the Medusa Society. He graduated from Trinity in 1951, when he also married Diane Alice Blanc, with whom he lovingly raised seven children in Sparta, NJ.

After his college graduation he began work in the insurance industry, and in 1978, became a Certified Industrial Environmental Safety Engineer for Fairchild Industries in Germantown, Maryland. He created the “One Million Man Hour Club,” which focused on the elimination of loss time accidents and supported the concept of “light duty return-to-work” assignments. Working with a team of company doctors and nurses, Fairchild achieved record safety numbers in its Alabama, California, Maryland, North Carolina, and Utah operations.

On Christmas Eve 1974, Ned met his second wife, Marjorie, whom he called “his angel.” They married in 1975 and have since lovingly cared for their “blended family” of his six, plus her three children, until his passing. Ned’s first born son, Edward Dickinson Taylor, III, died of Wilson’s Disease in 1967 and rests in the Sparta Presbyterian Methodist Cemetery, where Ned, Jr. will also be buried. He is also pre-deceased by Dawn Helton, Marjorie’s eldest daughter, who recently passed away after a long illness, as well as his best friend and college roommate, Mac Jacoby.

He is survived by Marjorie, his loving wife of 47 years, her children and their spouses: Doug and Mary Helton, Jennifer and Steve Piniaha; his children and their spouses: Marjorie and Jim Hickey, Diane and Mark Forsyth, Gene and Tina Taylor, Bill and Marta Taylor, Catherine and Jerry Soster, Jacqueline and Steven Sobol; his 17 grandchildren and his 14 great grandchildren. He expressed his gratitude to Jim Walker and Eileen Porter Foulds who provided tireless and loving care.

Ned was known not only for his ferocious work ethic, but also for his charm and fun-loving personality. He loved his country and was an ardent fan of the Washington Redskins and the annual Army-Navy game. You could count on him to enjoy a good bourbon and share lively conversation about history, politics, and sports.

A service will be held at 10:00 am on Friday, July 29 at the Blairstown Methodist Church, 10 Stillwater Road, Blairstown, NJ 07825. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to PBS, The Red Cross, or the Trinity College Alumni Association.