Richard "Tom" Thomas Taylor Sr.

Richard Thomas Taylor, Sr. - better known as Tom - was born on May 25, 1944 in Parsons, Tennessee. Tom passed away on December 13, 2025 in Collierville, Tennessee. He was 81 years old and a longtime resident of Byhalia, Mississippi.

Tom moved to Memphis in 1963 to join family who had already relocated, and to pursue employment opportunities. In 1966, Tom become a mechanic at Joe Schaeffer Motors, where he began his career in the automotive industry by working on air-cooled Volkswagens. Tom became well known in the Volkswagen community for his extensive knowledge and skill, all while making many lifelong friends along the way.

Never content to stop learning, Tom returned to school to earn his teaching degree, and in 1978, he became the Automotive Shop teacher at Collierville High School. Tom’s class quickly became popular and over the years he taught hundreds of students. To this day, many Collierville High School alumni still remember Mr. Taylor fondly and credit him with providing them a strong foundation in automotive knowledge. Tom officially retired from CHS in 2001, but he never left the Volkswagen world. His reputation for his vast knowledge and mechanical ability made him a Volkswagen staple across the United States. If you had an old Volkswagen, you knew Tom Taylor.

In 1965, Tom married the love of his life, Nancy C. Keeton Taylor. The two were inseparable for the entire span of their 60-year marriage. You rarely saw one without the other. A few years later, their son Rick was born, completing the family unit.

Tom was full of ideas, many of which sent Rick off and running. In the 1990s, Tom envisioned raising large flightless birds; ostriches, rheas and emus. The family embraced the idea, transforming their homestead acreage into a full-fledged hatchery and farm. As the market shifted, the birds were eventually sold, though they kept their first hatched emu until 2015, when he and his mate were gifted to a petting zoo.

After retiring from teaching, Tom’s ideas flowed freely. In the early 2000s, when Tom and Rick needed Volkswagen parts powder coated and found no local service in Memphis, Tom had another idea. Once again, Rick was set in motion. Newly married at the time, Rick and his wife, Julie, established Rick’s Powder Coating in Memphis.

Tom was a member of the Masonic Lodge in Olive Branch before later transferring to the Lodge in Collierville. He valued the fellowship and service of the Masons and was proud to be a brother. Tom was also a Shriner and belonged to the “Hillbillies Unit”, a car-centric group based in Collierville. Through the Lodge, Shriners and Eastern Star, Tom and Nancy formed many lasting friendships and shared many joyful experiences.

Tom is survived by his son Rick Taylor, daughter-in-law Julie Taylor, and two granddaughters Eva and Anna Taylor.

Tom is preceded in death by his beloved wife of 60 years, Nancy. He is also preceded by his mother, Neima Tyler; father Richard Thomas Long; maternal grandfather Jessie F. Tyler; maternal grandmother Eula Tyler Taylor; and maternal step-grandfather Joe S. Taylor.

A memorial for Tom will be held on Thursday, December 18 at Collierville Funeral Home, 3863 Bailey Station Rd in Collierville, Tennessee. Visitation will begin at 5:00 p.m., followed by the funeral service at 7:00 p.m. A graveside service will be on Friday, December 19 at 10:00 a.m. at the Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, 3700 N. Germantown Parkway in Bartlett, Tennessee.

Plants and flowers are appreciated; however, the family encourages memorial donations to Shriners Children's Hospital in memory of Tom. Donations may be made at https://www.shrinerschildrens.org/en/ways-to-give/giving-to-shriners-childrens/honor-a-loved-one, using [email protected] as the recipient email address. Thank you for your consideration.