Robert J Taylor

The ever ingenious and always curious, Robert J. Taylor, passed away on Sunday, August 6, 2023, he was 68 years old. Robert’s perspective on the world was always through a lens of “was it broken”, “can I fix it”, “can I make it better/faster/more powerful”, or “do I need to mind my own business”? His natural tendencies were drawn to tinkering and it was phenomenal to have a front-row seat to watch him think through and then get to work solving problems. He always had a list of inventions at the ready…if only he had the time to submit them to “InventHelp”. Robert was a San Antonio native and called Medina Lake home for the last 37 years. He loved family and really enjoyed fishing at the lake or in the surf of Big Shell. He also loved his two goats, Speedy and Kiddie, and his two dogs, George and Taz.

Robert discovered early in his life that he had a gift with his mechanical abilities, coupled with a strong drive and determination…and a pursuit for speed. What started as building wooden go-carts with lawnmower engines quickly turned into spending all his time on his beloved blue and white 1966 Chevy C10 pickup. He and a very small group of close friends would pull out the “daily driver” engine on Friday nights and swap it out for a much more souped-up engine for the weekend, only to reverse the process on Sunday evenings. He also built a dune buggy in the backyard of his parent’s Southside home, using the fork of an oak tree to bend the steel tubing packed with sand (so the tubing didn’t kink). When he was finished, he painted it “plum crazy” purple, his favorite color. He and a friend also rebuilt a Piper J-3 Cub airplane in a two-car garage. There really were no limits to his mechanical prowess and his ability to tackle hard and complicated problems. Robert’s patience would be tested in the crucible of fatherhood as he passed on his hard-won lessons learned to his two sons, who also shared in the passion found working on old cars, amidst the greasy fingers, bloody knuckles, and one-too-many ruined shirts (inevitably from not changing out of the good clothes after school). He would not only share his shadetree mechanic passion with his kids, but also his passion for the outdoors. There were many early mornings and evenings spent in the field chasing white-tailed deer and doves or out on lake pursuing largemouth bass.

Robert’s professional calling was found in the custom home building business and he built many homes in and around the greater San Antonio area over several decades. Additionally, he also enlisted in the Texas Air National Guard and was a proud member of the 149th Fighter Wing as a crew chief on the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

Robert is preceded in death by his youngest son, Jake Taylor, who passed away in late November 2022 from medical complications. He is survived by his wife Lana Taylor, his son and family (Charlie, Courtney, Trinity, and Tristan), his stepsons and their families (Brandon, Jessica, Darcy, and Jase Crady; and Nick Crady and Sydney De La Cruz), his sister Cindee Rennspies and family (Larry), and many other nephews, nieces, cousins, and countless friends.

Robert’s remains will be cremated in the coming days, and he will be honored with a Celebration of Life at Porter Loring Mortuary West on Monday, August 21st at 11:00 am.

CELEBRATION OF LIFEMONDAY, AUGUST 21, 202311:00 AMPORTER LORING MORTUARY WEST1710 WEST LOOP 1604 NORTH(NEAR SEA WORLD)