Susan Elaine Taylor

Susan Elaine (McGarry) Taylor, born October 30, 1949, in Chattanooga, TN, passed away in Las Vegas, Nevada, surrounded by family, on December 21, 2025. Susan was the daughter of George McGarry and Robbie Dean Presley.

Susan grew up in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, graduating from St. Louis Park High School in 1966. During high school, she worked as an usherette at the Cooper Theater and as a telephone information operator. It was during those years that Susan first met her future husband, Greg Taylor, who was working at Henny Penny Chicken. Susan often joked she tried to get a free Coke from him—and that free Coke never arrived. After graduation, Susan married and began her life as a mother. She gave birth to her children, Elaine, Matthew, and Andrew Triplett, and later welcomed Todd and Tammy as step-children.

In her early years as a young mother, Susan pursued her education, attending the University of Minnesota, where she graduated in 1980 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Consumer Affairs and Logic—an accomplishment she always valued deeply. Susan became deeply interested in her family lineage, and she began her research. She was a member of the National Society Daughters of 1812, the Daughters of the American Revolution, a Clark County Marriage Commissioner, and an ordained member of the Open Ministry of Marriage. Performing weddings became a special joy throughout her later life—every marriage ceremony she conducted was a “special moment and day” for her.

Although Susan and Greg went their separate ways after high school, their story didn’t end there. 32 years later, when Greg’s work brought him to Las Vegas, he reached out to Susan’s mother to reconnect—and not without receiving the full “motherly questioning” first. During that visit, they traveled to Mesa, Arizona, to visit Greg’s parents. When Greg’s father saw them together, he grinned and said, “What’s going on with you two?” They insisted they were just friends. His knowing smile said otherwise.

Before Greg arrived in Las Vegas on that trip, Susan interviewed a couple for marriage. The groom described himself as a “Jewish blessing giver.” He told her it was a special day and described Greg having two children and Susan having three. Then, he told her that the two of them would one day be married and that someday in the future, they would see him again in Jerusalem. Susan never forgot that blessing or that day.

After Greg returned to Minneapolis following that visit, he came down with the flu and was asleep one night when he heard knocking at his front door. He opened it to find no one there, with fresh snow showing no footprints at all. Curious, he called Susan—two time zones apart—and asked what she was doing at that moment. She answered, “Knocking on the kids’ door.” Moments like these became treasured stories between them.

Greg and Susan married on April 30, 1997, marking the beginning of their shared journey, which included years of travel for Greg’s work. They lived in Burnsville, Minnesota; Colbert, Washington; Casa Grande, Arizona; and Las Vegas, Nevada. While Greg worked at hospitals across the U.S. and abroad, Susan explored the surrounding areas, collecting experiences, photos, and stories. Between assignments, they traveled to Japan, Guam, Alaska, and many states across the country.

In the summer of 2025, Susan and Greg embarked on an extended 6,000-mile road trip in their new (to them) camper— a journey that became one of their most memorable adventures. They visited northwest Iowa for Greg’s school reunion, enjoyed the Iowa Great Lakes, then traveled to Indianola to visit Greg’s brother and wife and attend the Iowa State Fair. From there, they went on to the Quad Cities to meet Greg’s retired boss of 30 years and introduce him to Susan. Continuing north, they visited Tammy in Marion, Iowa (and enjoyed real Iowa sweet corn), then traveled to Minneapolis to visit Susan’s sister and brother and nephews and nieces—adding a stop at the Minnesota State Fair. Along the way, they met one of Greg’s high school classmates and discovered that he and Susan shared a love of clocks and trains. It was a deeply meaningful journey filled with memories, laughter, and stories to treasure.

Among her many qualities, Susan will be remembered for her intelligence, humor, and unmistakable warmth. She had a gift for making others feel welcome, a curiosity for history and genealogy, and a deep love for family both past and present.

Susan is survived by her husband Greg Taylor; her children Elaine Triplett, Matthew (Jeannie) Triplett, and her step-children Todd (Candice) Taylor and Tammy Taylor; her grandchildren Justin, Brandon, Marina (Shea), Jesse (Audrey), Brittany (Teddi), Troy, Toby,

Titus, Her great grandchildren Andie and Carter; and her siblings Kevin McGarry and Nancy Commerford. Susan was preceded in death by her son, Andrew Triplett, and her parents, George McGarry and Robbie Dean Presley.

Service Information

A visitation will be held on January 14, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Palm Eastern Mortuary and Cemetery, located at 7600 S. Eastern Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89123.

The funeral service will follow at the same location from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM. A committal service is scheduled from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Palm Eastern Cemetery.

A catered reception will take place on January 14, 2026, from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM