Gene Taylor

The fine spirit of Clyde Gene Taylor returned to God who gave it on May 30, 2018, his 80th birthday, closing the circle of this life. Memorial services will be held Saturday, June 16, at 3:00 pm at Grace Avenue Methodist Church in Frisco, TX. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Grace Avenue, Gene’s church.

Gene and his twin sister Janis were born in 1938 to Clyde B. and Vera Wakeland Taylor of Waxahachie, Texas. Growing up a farm boy instilled principles of character, hard work, and commitment to church that would mark Gene’s life. Vera, a music teacher and church organist, passed on to Gene an extraordinary musical talent. Gene had what musicians call “perfect pitch.” A beautiful tenor soloist, he was a church choir member his entire life. He relished a cappella music, especially barbershop quartets, singing several years with The Men of Note chorus in north Dallas. He also organized, arranged and directed music for the men’s chorus at church.

Gene could hear a song once and sit down at a piano keyboard and play it. Evenings at the Taylor household were filled with the joyous melody of Gene playing and singing a jazzy “Scotch and Soda” or “Yesterday” by the Beatles, or hymns from the Methodist Cokesbury Hymnal. Gene gave the gift of music to a generation of young Sunday Schoolers at the United Methodist Church in Lake Jackson, Texas.

Tall and graceful, Gene lettered in football, basketball, baseball and track at Waxahachie High School. When a season ended, he would turn in one uniform for the next. Later in life, Gene provided formidable competition on the handball and racquetball courts, hammered homers on the work softball team, flicked flies with a fishing rod in Colorado, and put many miles on his bike.

Intending to play baseball for Southern Methodist University, Gene’s class schedule for Chemistry proved rigid, and as he did throughout his life Gene made a sensible choice. He earned Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Chemistry from SMU, where he was also active in the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. He then worked over 30 years as a chemist at Dow Chemical in Freeport, Texas.

Gene married his first wife Dorothy (“Dee Dee”) Watts in August 1963. They had two children during their 25-year marriage and lived in Lake Jackson, Texas. Gene was a devoted family man and always encouraged and attended his children’s educational, sports and musical pursuits. After reconnecting at their 30-year college reunion, Gene married Ann Newman Doyle in 1992. He retired from Dow Chemical in 1994, and he and Ann moved to Frisco, Texas in 2007. Together they enjoyed their children and grandchildren, travel, and time with friends.

To all his friends and family, Gene will be remembered as a man of great character and quiet strength. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Gene is survived by his wife Ann; his son David Taylor and wife Kristi of The Woodlands, Texas; and daughter Karen Quast and husband Tim of Denver, Colorado. Gene is also survived by Ann’s daughters Laura Milton and husband Randy of Little Elm, Texas, and Catherine Remmele and husband Gary of Plano, Texas, six grandchildren, and twin sister Janis York and husband Michael of Las Colinas, Texas.