Layna Taylor

Layna Taylor, aged 72, of Tempe, Arizona, died peacefully on October 10th after a long fight with cancer. Layna was born in Portland, Oregon, on October 23rd 1953, and was the youngest of the three children of Warren and Lucille Taylor (brother Harold and sister Joan). At the age of five she moved to Arizona, which began a lifelong love of the Grand Canyon State. She graduated from Arizona State University in 1975 with a degree in Anthropology before she earned a law degree from the Sandra Day O’Connor Law School at Arizona State University in 1980.

After graduating from law school, Layna began a career of public service; working as a county attorney in Pinal County. She was a dedicated servant of the State of Arizona, working for three decades at the Industrial Commission of Arizona, serving as an administrative law judge until her retirement in 2019. Her deep knowledge of the law and profound sense of justice guided her as she handled a variety of complex and sensitive labor disputes under the Occupational Safety and Healthcare Administration (OSHA) and worker’s compensation.

Layna was, however, far more than just an excellent administrative judge; she was a sister, an aunt, a mentor and a volunteer who selflessly gave her time and qualities to those around her. She was never a wallflower and greatly enjoyed the company of others with whom she was always open and gregarious. She made friends easily from all walks of life and managed to maintain a great many of them across a lifetime; a testament to her warmth and genuine concern for all those she met.

She loved young people and cared about mentoring the next generation; working for many years with Arizona State University on law scholarships and mentoring upcoming lawyers. She often spoke about how reviewing the applications and essays of prospective scholarship winners continued to give her hope in the future as she could see both the intelligence and moral character of so many of the young people beginning their careers in the law.

Though she did not have children of her own, she was ever-present in the lives of her nephew, Josh, and her niece, Taylor, and she could always be relied upon to be generous with her time, resources and wisdom, providing a guiding hand to them both as they moved along their pathways in life.

Layna had many interests: she loved Arizona’s sports teams and she had a profound love of animals, in particular horses and dogs. Her love of horses, that had begun as a child learning to ride and show half Arabian-Saddlebreds, continued throughout her life as a competitor in shows throughout the Western United States. In later life she took her deep knowledge of equestrianism and her love of competition and transformed herself into a show steward, one of the selfless individuals without whose skill and common-sense horse shows cannot take place. She brought a generous spirit and a light touch to major shows for many years including some of the most prestigious events in the US.

Her second great passion was for dogs, particularly those who through no fault of their own had been abandoned or mistreated and needed a second chance in life. She spent countless hours volunteering with the Humane Animal Rescue and Trapping Team (HARRT), spending her time out on the ground working to save the lives of vulnerable animals across her hometown of Tempe.

When not serving her adopted Arizona community, Layna loved nothing more than supporting the Diamondbacks, the Sun Devils or the Suns and could often be found in the stands cheering the teams on. She was overjoyed when the Diamondbacks won the World Series and at the end, while in hospice-care, she could be found avidly listening to the team on the radio hoping, beyond hope, that they could repeat the feat again.

After an encounter at the University Lutheran Church and Lutheran Campus Ministry at Arizona State University, Layna became and remained a person of great personal faith whose religious and moral belief profoundly influenced her as both a judge specializing in labor, employment and workplace injury law, and as a family member and friend. She always thought of others and placed the needs of those around before her own, truly touching the lives of everyone she met. Her life stands as an example for all and she was truly a gift for those who were fortunate enough to know her.

Layna Taylor is predeceased by her parents, Lucille and Warren Taylor, and her brother, Harold Taylor. She is survived by her sister, Joan Nagle; her nephew, Joshua Taylor, and her niece, Taylor Nagle.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to HARTT, Inc. (Humane Animal Rescue and Trapping Team) Donate (or pay a fee) | HARTT.

Funeral services will be held on October 23, 2026, at 10:30 am at the University Lutheran Church & Campus Ministry, 340 E 15th Street Tempe, AZ 85281.