Mylene ‘Dede’ (Smith) Taylor was born on July 27, 1960, to Spencer Odell Smith and Carrie Lee (Clemons) Smith. She was the youngest daughter of 7 siblings. She was raised in a Christian home rooted in love and faith, values that remained with her throughout her life and that she lovingly passed down to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
She spent her life learning, exploring, and making memories throughout Central Texas. After graduating from Temple High School, Dede received her Licensed Vocational Nursing Certification (LVN) in 1981. She then furthered her education in nursing and became a Registered Nurse (RN) in 2003. She started her career at The Veterans Affairs Hospital in Temple, TX, and continued into a position at The Granger Nursing Rehabilitation Center as the Director of Nurses (DON). Caring for others was at the heart of Dede’s life. Whether easing physical pain or offering comfort and support through life’s difficult moments, she had a special gift for helping others feel cared for. Her passion for helping people became a lasting legacy, carried on by her daughters, who each followed in their mother’s footsteps into the medical field. That same desire to care for others continued throughout Dede’s life, leading her to become licensed in life insurance at the age of 65.
Christ has always been a firm foundation in Dede’s life. She continuously shared the gospel with her loved ones, friends, acquaintances, and strangers. She treated everyone equally and urged all to love thy neighbor (Mark 12:30–31). Her faith was evident in the way she loved others and shared the light of Christ with everyone she encountered. She was extremely family-oriented and loved creating unforgettable memories at family reunions, birthday parties and even Sunday night dinners. She enjoyed expressing her love by cooking soulful meals on Christmas and Thanksgiving, hosting family Bible studies, and participating in game nights with her all-time favorite games: Monopoly and Spades. There was never a time she wasn’t bonding with her family, she loved shopping, getting her hair and nails done, drinking wild red, and watching her western TV shows. Her bright smile, home-cooked meals, and familial laugh will be forever cherished.
Dede shared her life with her parents, Spencer Odell Smith, and Carrie Lee (Clemons) Smith; her 6 siblings, Spencer Smith, Homer Smith, Dora Luckey, Glenn Smith, Nadine Reese, and Preston Smith; her 5 children, April Smith, Chandra DeWitty, Eric Taylor, Carrie Taylor and Marvin Wayne Taylor Jr.; her 12 grandchildren, Tiara Taylor, Antanasia DeWitty, Bethany Taylor, Jamica Mcdade, Alitta Taylor, Madison Taylor, Jameer Mcdade, Jason Rosentangle, Trazavion Nash, Leah Porter, J’areus Mitchell, and Ereaunna McGuire; and her 2 great-grandchildren, Santana Allen and Saint Allen.
She will be reunited in eternal rest with her beloved parents Spencer Odell Smith and Carrie Lee (Clemons) Smith; brother, Glenn Smith; and son, Marvin Wayne Taylor Jr.
Please join us at The Scanio-Harper Funeral Home, 3110 Airport Rd Temple, TX 76504, on October 24, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. as we celebrate the purposeful life of Mylene “Dede” (Smith) Taylor. Visitation will be held an hour prior from 9:00 am - 10:00 am. Burial will be held at 3:00 pm at Saint Matthew Cemetery 860 Upshaw Rd, Carmine, TX 78932.
In honor of Dede, we kindly ask everyone to wear colors and refrain from wearing black. Her favorite color was true blue, and we would love to see everyone wear a shade of blue as we come together to celebrate her beautiful life, cherish her memory, and honor the love and light she shared with us all.
