Willie Love Taylor

Willie Love Taylor, 93, died peacefully in her sleep on October 14, 2017. A longtime resident of Huntsville, Alabama she was predeceased by her husband Hugh M. Taylor, Jr., formerly of Morristown, Tennessee in 1964.

Willie Love was born May 15, 1924 in Starkville, Mississippi, the daughter of Stephen Nash and Emma Love Bizzell. Her sole sibling, Steve Nash, predeceased her. She grew up in Starkville and graduated from Mississippi State in 1946. She met her husband at MSU and after their marriage, the couple lived briefly in Chicago while Hugh was getting his master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Northwestern. Upon graduation the young couple settled in Huntsville where Hugh worked with NASA as part of Werner von Braun’s engineering team on the Saturn 5 rocket.

After Hugh’s untimely death, she devoted herself to raising her young daughter, Kathy Love, and overseeing all of her many activities. She shouldered the added work without complaint and with considerable grace.

Willie Love was proud of her Mississippi roots and stayed active throughout her life in social and community organizations like the Daughters of the American Revolution, Chi Omega and the Greenwyche Garden Club. She enjoyed the luncheons with her friends and participated in them until her failing health prohibited her from doing so. She is also a member of the First United Methodist Church of Huntsville.

There was nothing Willie Love enjoyed more than spending time with her daughter and her two grandchildren on their visits to Huntsville and their annual visits with the children to the beach. She learned to love and follow the youth sports that her grandchildren competed in which included football, baseball, soccer, cross country and golf. Willie Love was a tenacious card player and especially enjoyed teaching others new card games. She is survived by her daughter, Kathy Love Erickson and her son in law, Jon Erickson of Atlanta and her granddaughter Katie Erickson Zeek and her husband, Ryan Zeek, as well as her grandson, 2nd Lt. Brian Erickson, USMC and his wife, Ciara Erickson of Quantico, Virginia.

Willie Love is also survived by her cousin Anne Aiken of Shreveport, Louisiana and her cousin Evelyn Haas and her husband Fox Haas of West Point, Mississippi. Both cousins were extremely devoted friends and frequently called Willie Love to check on her wellbeing and to exchange family news.

Willie Love also loved her adopted hometown of Huntsville and was adamant about remaining there as long as possible. She has many devoted friends including a long and endearing friendship with Oscar and Judy Maxwell of Huntsville and their children, Jane Maxwell Brocato, Dan Maxwell and Missy Maxwell Walker which expanded over the years with their growing family to include the Maxwell and Brocatos’ spouses and grandchildren. Willie Love was often invited with the extended Maxwell family to outings at Lake Guntersville and she was always extremely thankful for this “second family” that assisted her in many ways over the years.

The family would also like to thank her close friends, Susie Overstreet of Starkville and Carol Potts of Huntsville who called her frequently offering support and providing many words of encouragement.

A graveside funeral service and internment will be conducted on October 21st in Morristown, Tennessee. A memorial service honoring the life of Willie Love Taylor will be held on November 4th (11am) at the First United Methodist Church of Huntsville. Memorial gifts may be made to the First United Methodist Church of Huntsville or Chi Omega Sorority reference: Mississippi State University.