Colvin E. Taylor

Colvin Ellsworth Taylor was born in Detroit, Michigan March 31, 1919 and passed away after a life very well lived on December 19, 2014. He was the son of Colvin Taylor (Iowa) and Irene Gallaher (Ohio). He was the eldest of four children. Preceding him in death were his brothers Donald (Don), and Richard (Dick), and his sister, Elizabeth (Betty).

Colvin attended schools in Dayton, Ohio and Detroit, Michigan. He excelled in drafting and secured a position as draftsman for the DeVlieg Tool and Die Company, a producer of horizontal boring machines which culminated in the JIGMIL. The first JIGMIL is now in the Henry Ford Museum and features the Operators Manual co-authored by Colvin.

He met Jeanne Marie Cadieux, the love of his life, on a blind-date in 1941 and they married on September 10, 1943 in Dearborn, Michigan. They were married for 69 years before her passing on January 27th, 2013.

Colvin took leave from his drafting position at DeVlieg to enlist in the United States Army in May of 1944. Following brief training in Wisconsin, he was assigned to the Northern Appennines in Northern Italy to the 86th Ordinance Heavy Automotive Maintenance Company

Following his honorable discharge in July, 1946, Colvin returned to DeVlieg as a draftsman. During his career there, his duties were expanded to sales representation.

In 1950, Colvin and Jeanne started their family, and in 1960 they moved from Royal Oak to the home that they designed and built in West Bloomfield at Pine Lake where they happily lived at the end-of-the-road

on Pine Heights Drive.

In West Bloomfield, Colvin was a long-time and active member of Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church, where he held responsibility insuring that all masses had ushers.

Jeanne and Colvin enjoyed their retirement years traveling often with family and friends both near and far including many trips to visit their daughters, grand-daughters and families in Colorado. A particularly memorable trip was one to Toronto and Niagara Falls with their, then young, grandson. They rarely missed any of the big or small events in their families’ lives and participated in home-remodeling projects, graduations, weddings and spending time with and caring for their grandchildren with great enthusiasm.

Colvin never lost his flair for adventure. In the last three years in Colorado he was an assistant engineer for a day on the Georgetown Loop Train; a passenger in a hot air balloon that ascended a mile; an intent observer on Amtrak Run from Denver to Grand Junction—and back; and, a weatherman on top of Mt. Evans (it was cold!)

Colvin is survived by his children: Barb (Jay Carpender) of Denver, Colorado; Jan (Rich Boyes) of Greeley, Colorado; and, Col Taylor, Jr. (Sue), West Bloomfield, Michigan; three grandchildren (Elizabeth, Katherine and Colvin III); and five great grandchildren (Cade, Hannah, Mia, Ethan, and Bennett).

Colvin remained an active member of the DeVlieg 25 Year/Retiree Club and they rarely missed a meeting until he and Jeanne moved from the area in 2011. His family wishes that contributions in his memory be made to the DeVlieg 25 Year/Retirees Club c/o Herb Weidman, 36229 Jeffrey Drive, Sterling Heights, MI 48310, or to the organization of your choice.

The family has greatly appreciated the many expressions of love and care both during his final years and since his unexpected passing at 95¾ years young! They are particularly grateful for the wonderful attention and care giving that he received at Keystone Place at Legacy Ridge.

We know that he is now in a place where he can once again lead the usher team, ice skate, do home projects, read, and understand how all things large and small work.