James Sanford Taylor

James Sanford Taylor, 67, of Leland Grove, IL, passed away on Wednesday, November 2, 2011 after a valiant two-year battle with cancer. James was born August 12, 1944 in Denver, CO, the third of four children to Wayne and Rose June Taylor. He married Sandra Jeanne Herron of Springfield on July 14, 1979 in Los Gatos, CA. In addition to Sandy, he is also survived by two brothers, Norman Taylor of Boulder, CO and William Taylor of San Jose, CA; and one sister, Cynthia Taylor Mudge of Athens, TX. Through his loving marriage to Sandy, he was proud to have raised a daughter, Elizabeth (husband, John) Gengl of Simi Valley, CA, as well as two granddaughters, Hallie and Emilie. While attending East High School in Denver, Jim was elected National President of the Distributive Education Clubs of America, an honor which included a full college scholarship. After graduating from the University of Colorado, he moved to California to accept a job with Bank of America. For the next forty-three years, he worked for or with various banks in California and Illinois as a commercial real estate and business lender. In 1986, he and Sandy moved to Petersburg, IL. For the next six years, Jim worked for the State of Illinois in various senior positions. They returned to California in 1992 to continue pursuit of professional opportunities, and finally returned to Illinois in 2009 to retire. Jim and Sandy called the First Presbyterian Church in Springfield home, where Sandy remains an active member of the congregation. As a result of his website blogs in which he chronicled his challenging medical journey, Jim was asked to deliver a sermon before the full congregation, which he gave on September 25, 2011. That message can be heard on the church web site at www.lincolnschurch.org. Jim served for six years with the California Army National Guard. After being named "Outstanding Cadet" in Officer's Candidate School, he was later appointed an aide-de-camp to a Brigadier General. During their close marriage, Jim and Sandy traveled extensively through fifteen countries. They also rescued and kept twenty dogs through the years, having at one time thirteen dogs at their country home in Petersburg. Their homes, ten in all through the years in both California and Illinois, were noted for being a center of loving hospitality, welcoming humor, and a comforting environment for family and friends alike. Jim was an accomplished musician who could play various instruments; chief among them was the piano. He was also a published poet and author, having most recently written and published The Reluctant Revolution, a political thriller novel. His partners in California are currently exploring opportunities to convert the novel into a movie. Visitation: Family will receive friends from 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. on Monday, November 7, 2011 at First Presbyterian Church, 321 South 7th St., Springfield. Funeral Ceremony: 11:00 a.m. on Monday, November 7, 2011 at First Presbyterian Church with Rev. Dr. Clifford Hayes officiating. Private burial will follow at Oak Ridge Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to: First Presbyterian Church, Stained Glass Restoration Project, 321 South 7th St., Springfield, IL 62701.