Jonathan D. Taylor

Quiet, reserved and logical are trademark qualities that friends and family might use to describe Jonathan David Taylor. Jonathan was an intuitive person. He was the type of person who could comfortably get lost in his thoughts, someone who had tremendous problem solving abilities. Always conscientious and focused on details, Jonathan was a person who loved to imagine the possibilities of life.

      Jonathan was born on September 23, 1971 at UMC Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was the son of Jack and Bernadine Taylor. He was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jonathan did not have to surround himself with people to be content. He was the type of person who enjoyed being alone rather than be part of a large crowd. He could be content for hours in some activity or be lost in his own imagination.

      In grade school, Jonathan gravitated toward others who shared similar interests and enjoyed academics as well as physical activity. He was always curious about what made things work, and he would excel at the things that called more for "brain" power. Jonathan took part in T-ball and chess. He delighted in the projects that required planning, exploration and solution. Jonathan's memorable achievements included being recognized for saving baby desert tortoise's which he also had a story published in the newspaper about. As was evident by those who knew him, his most fun was to be found in books and in research.

      During high school, Jonathan excelled at the challenge of learning and was especially good at taking tests and exams. He could delight more in problem solving than in the more routine school work. As long as the intellectual challenges kept coming, Jonathan was happy. He graduated from Western High School in 1989. His favorite class in high school was science.

      Although Jonathan had a small group of friends, they were a close knit group and he enjoyed spending time with them. He liked to be able to engage them in discussions on the many topics he found interesting. Those who knew him well might describe Jonathan as a good listener who could bring out a type of understanding from those around him that even surprised them. He was passionate in his commitments and would never intentionally hurt anyone. While growing up, some of his best friends were Jeff Daub, James Shaefer, Kevin Boyle, Billy Martin, Rawn McMahon, Tony Resma, Cari Campbell, John Phillips, Dayna Exline, and Jenny Bishop. Later in life, he became friends with Eric Von Hake, Eric Liljeroos, Brian Morrow, Brian Swann, Nate Coleman, Dave DiLuzio, Denny Hagen, and Adrian Buzzin.

       On January 23, 2013 after being together for 18 years, Jonathan married Susan Parker in Las Vegas, Nevada. Susan was influential in Jonathan's life and brought a dimension of emotion and feelings to a man who mostly lived in his intellect. Jonathan grew, blossomed and became more balanced because of their love and compassion.

      Jonathan was a hard worker and a good provider who loved his family even though he wasn’t very demonstrative. Jonathan's sense of fun was often unleashed in his puns and witty, intelligent quips. It delighted him when the children would banter back and forth with him in this brainy exchange of mind contests. The children always knew how much Jonathan loved them.

      Finding the right type of job can be a challenge for anyone, but that was especially true for Jonathan. He needed to find a career that would challenge him. Fortunately, he found a career path where he could use his natural intellect and his natural critical thinking skills. He was employed by Southwest Gas for 13 years as a Meter Reader. Jonathan was a dedicated and valued employee and was respected by his colleagues for his ability to grasp and understand difficult concepts.

      Hobbies were more than fun for Jonathan because he challenged himself to learn the theory behind the actual activity. Knowing how things worked was more of an incentive than just performing and completing the task. His favorite pursuits were making sci-fi models and listening to music, particularly the band RUSH.

      Jonathan especially enjoyed time with his pets. He could spend hours in private thought, and his faithful companions would just sit by his side or in his lap. One of Jonathan's favorites was Waffle, a cat. They were best friends for 8 years. His family was rounded out by his other cats, Elmer and Dexter; his dogs, Komi and Dennis; his birds, Pummkin, Yummy, and Blue; 4 aquariums full of tropical fish and several ferrets.

      Jonathan David Taylor passed away on October 5, 2013 at Centennial Hills Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is survived by his wife, Susan Parker; his children, Christina and Erin Gallagher; his mother, Bernadine Taylor; his grandmother, Jean Klopack; and his cousin, Jason Klopack. Services were held at Palm Northwest Mortuary. Jonathan was laid to rest in Palm Northwest Memorial Park in Las Vegas, Nevada.

       Those who knew and loved Jonathan will miss his quiet gentleness, his curiosity and his ability to often turn work situations into fun experiences. He leaves all those who knew him with many wonderful memories.