Mary Thornton Taylor

Mary Patricia Thornton Taylor of Orange Beach, AL earned her wings and was lifted up to Heaven on December 27, 2024 after a brief, very unexpected illness. Her quick wit, beautiful smile and infectious laugh will be greatly missed. While her passing will leave a huge hole in the hearts of those who knew and loved her, her memory and loving influence will live on forever.

Born in Birmingham April 20, 1954, she attended Our Lady of Sorrows School and John Carroll High School making many lifelong friends along the way. After high school, she attended the University of Alabama obtaining a Business Degree in 1976. While there, she was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority serving as President her Senior year. After graduation, she and a sorority sister loaded up her Datsun B210 and headed to Lake Tahoe where she worked in a casino for a year. Upon her return to Birmingham, the first morning she woke up to her Father telling her he had enrolled her in Cumberland School of Law which was the start of an amazing legal education and brilliant legal career.

She graduated from Cumberland Law School with honors in 1981, then was a Law Clerk for U.S. District Judge Clarence Allgood for a year. She moved into the U.S. Attorney's Office following her clerkship and worked in the civil division for the Northern District of Alabama for 6 years. Being ever in quest of learning, she decided to further her legal education and enrolled in the University of Cambridge (Hughes Hall), Cambridge, England earning a Masters of Law degree in International Law in 1989. During her time at Cambridge, she travelled extensively all over Europe. Her quest not yet satisfied, she left England for Washington, D.C. and obtained another Masters of Law degree from George Washington University in Environmental Law in 1991.

Her private law practice began when she returned to Birmingham and became a Partner in the law firm of Dominick, Fletcher, Yeilding, Acker and Lloyd specializing mainly in Construction and Real Estate matters. In 2002 she joined her family's residential construction business serving as Vice-President and General Counsel for Thornton Construction/Thornton Homes where she remained over 10 years. Her final stop was with Taylor Partners, LLC practicing law with her husband in Orange Beach.

She is survived by her husband of almost 26 years, Bert P. Taylor, with whom she shared a close partnership in life as best friends, loving spouse and law partner. To say her untimely death has crushed him would be a vast understatement. She is also survived by her daughter, Vira Thornton Knight (Jeremiah), grandchildren Elizabeth Knight, Josiah "JJ" Knight, Elijah "Eli" Knight and Christopher Taylor, to whom she was "Mimi" or "Miss Mary," and Stepsons Ty Taylor of Birmingham and William "Will" Taylor of Vancouver, Wash.

The third of six children, Mary is also survived by her two sisters and two brothers: Catherine Thornton Dent, Virginia Thornton Halter, William L. Thornton III (Deedra), James Michael Thornton (Virginia) all of Birmingham. She is predeceased by her parents, William L. Thornton, Jr. and Patricia Ann James Thornton, sister, Barbara Ann Thornton Brierre, and her two Brothers-in-Law, Gary Dent and Mike Halter. Many nieces, nephews and cousins also survive her.

Mary was truly an amazing person with book smarts, street smarts and people smarts. She made and kept friends at every stop of her life from grammar school to Orange Beach and everywhere in between. As Sister Margaret Harte wrote from Ireland upon her passing "Mary was a treasure, so kind, gentle, patient and caring." Mary experienced life deeply and completely, loved to travel and was the best navigator one could have on the trip. She was well researched, well read, loved music, Broadway shows and musicals, museums, artwork, first edition books (of which she had many), and, of course, her beloved Crimson Tide! Most importantly, she deeply loved and cared for her family. She was an awesome Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Sister, Sister-In-Law, Aunt and friend to many. She was a wonderful person, much loved by both family and friends alike and truly one of a kind!

A Memorial Service will be held January 22, 2025 at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, 1720 Oxmoor Rd., Homewood, AL 35209. Visitation at 10:00 am, Service at 11:00 am, lunch at noon.