Zachary Taylor, 79 of New Bern, NC, died March 30, 2018 at home after a three-year courageous battle against pancreatic cancer. Zack was born at Rex Hospital in Raleigh, NC on February 3, 1939 and grew up in Knightdale, NC. Zack attended elementary schools in Raleigh and Knightdale and graduated from Knightdale High School in 1957. He then attended the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and graduated from North Carolina State University in 1962 with a BS degree in Industrial Arts. During a summer break in college, Zack sold Bibles door to door in Indiana for the Southwestern Publishing Company, an experience that Zack drew inspiration from his entire life. While at State, Zack was enrolled in Air Force ROTC and upon graduation, was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Zack married his high school sweetheart, Judy Allen, in 1961 and they enjoyed 57 years of marriage. Service in the Air Force took Zack and Judy to such places as Sioux City, Iowa and Biloxi, Mississippi. Upon fulfilling his Air Force service commitment, Zack was convinced by his old college roommate to come work as the production supervisor for a small company in Springfield, Tennessee making promotional items for school fundraising. Zack essentially designed and built various machines used in production. Zack, Judy and their young son, Brian, moved back to Raleigh in 1965 when Zack went to work for Rockwell International as a production manager. In 1966, Zack was convinced to move again, this time to New Bern as he went to work in his father’s land and timber business. Shortly after moving to New Bern, a second son, John, was born and it is here that Zack and Judy made their permanent home and formed many lifelong friendships. In 1971, Zack began publishing a weekly local interest magazine, Spotlight On The East. This brought about a long line of other publications that Zack started and operated including, The Shopper, The Gazette, Carolina Business, Carolina Farmer and North Carolina Retirement . After selling the majority of the various publications, Zack concentrated his work in the area of real estate investment and development that he continued until his death. In business, Zack was known to many as a tough-but-fair negotiator and one who enjoyed delving into the finer details of anything he was involved with. An amateur photographer, wood worker, property rights advocate, reader of biographies, problem solver and all around tinkerer, Zack had many interests. He was a thinker and expected and encouraged others to do the same. Although he enjoyed much financial successes, he was unpretentious, humble, genuine and preferred to fly under the radar. Zack was active in the community, committed to his family and a longtime devoted member of Garber United Methodist Church.
Zack was preceded in death by his father, John Talford Taylor, Jr.; his mother, Doris Robertson Anthony; his stepfather, Eugene Holton Anthony and an infant sister, Caroline Taylor.
He is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Judy Allen Taylor; his stepmother, Dora Winters Taylor, son Brian Zachary Taylor and wife Melissa Nease Taylor, son John Webb Taylor and wife Joan Vermilyea Taylor, grandchildren John Maxwell Taylor, Brian Zachary Taylor, Jr., Jake Webb Taylor, Joshua Forrest Taylor, Margaret Mary Taylor; great grandchild, Kathryn McKenna Wilmoth; brothers Lloyd K. Taylor, Edmund P. Taylor and Rhett W. Taylor; sisters Susan Hernandez, Mary Beth Anthony and Kathy Gene Richardson and many other loving family members and friends.
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