Submitted by: John C. Monk
Lloyd S. Taylor Mar. 21, 1928 - Sept. 25, 2008
SOUTH BEND - Lloyd Sherrett Taylor, 80, beloved husband, father
and grandfather, died on Thursday night peacefully and in the
company of his family. Lloyd was born March 21, 1928, in LaPorte,
to the late Lloyd W. Taylor and Nina Sellers Taylor of Walkerton.
He graduated from Walkerton - Lincoln Township High School in
1946. He served in the 11th Airborne / 88 Parachute Infantry in
Sendai, Japan, followed by three years in the U.S. Air Force
Reserves. He attended Purdue University and graduated with a BS
degree in civil engineering in January 1952. At Purdue, he met
Nancy Ann Kiebler and they were married on January 26, 1952, in
Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. Together they raised three children,
Stephen Paul (Suzette) of Lexington Park, Maryland, David Bruce
(Lorraine) of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Katherine Ann of Bethesda,
Maryland. They have six grandchildren, Paul, Diane (Joe),
Benjamin, Brian, James and Anna. Lloyd was preceded in death by
his sister, Nina Leigh Wallace, and an infant grandchild, Deborah
Lynn Taylor. Following graduation from college, Lloyd and Nancy
moved to South Bend. Lloyd served in several capacities in the
consulting and industrial engineering field at Clyde-Williams and
Associates, Torrington, and Curtis Wright. In 1964 he was
appointed Director of Public Works and City Engineer for the City
of South Bend. In January 1972 he was appointed Executive
Director of the Department of Redevelopment for the City of South
Bend where he was responsible for the downtown renewal project.
In January 1973, he joined the St. Joseph Bank and Trust Company
as Vice President for Real Estate Development. He retired from
the bank as Senior Vice President in 1988. In 1982 he was elected
to the Indiana General Assembly. He served two terms on the Ways
and Means Committee and was the ranking member of the Public
Safety Committee. He took a special interest in education finance
and was appointed to the Governor's Select Advisory Committee on
Primary and Secondary Education. In 1985, Gov. Orr appointed him
to the White River Park Development Commission and in 1987 to the
Indiana Medical Education Board. He was honored by the Ad Hoc
Youth Issues Legislative Task Force and the Tri-County Council
for Exceptional Children for his work on legislation for
handicapped children. He was a member of the South Bend Exchange
Club, Masonic Lodge #619, Walkerton, Indiana, and was a member of
the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Valley of South Bend. In 2000
he received the 33 degree, the highest honor of the Scottish Rite
Free Masonry. He served on the St. Joseph County Airport
authority for 22 years, six years as president, the Northern
Indiana Historical Society Board for 23 years, and he chaired the
Building Committee overseeing the design and construction of the
Northern Indiana Center for History. He served on the boards of
Goodwill Industries, the Alcoholism Council, the Indiana Area
Development Council and Brethren Care of South Bend. He also
served on Judge John Montgomery's Blue Ribbon Task Force to
investigate problems in the St. Joseph County jail. In 1965, he
was given the annual Award of Merit of the South Bend Civic
Planning Association and in 1974 he was named Engineer of the
Year by the St. Joseph County Chapter of the Indiana Society of
Professional Engineers. Mayor Peter Nemeth gave him a Key to the
City of South Bend in 1978 for his efforts to establish the
Studebaker National Museum. He served as secretary of the
Studebaker National Museum for a number of years and on various
committees. Lloyd was an emeritus member of the boards of both
the Northern Indiana Historical Society and of the Studebaker
National Museum. In 1984 Governor Orr named Lloyd a Sagamore of
the Wabash. In 1994, the Northern Indiana Historical Society
established the Lloyd Taylor Annual Volunteerism Award in his
honor. He was named Lion of the Year by the Lydick Lions in 1990,
and a Melvin Jones Fellow by Lions Clubs International Foundation
for dedicated humanitarian service. He received the F. Jay Nimtz
Award for exemplary public service from the City of South Bend
and the South Bend Heritage Foundation. Lloyd was involved in
establishing the Military Honor Park and Museum located at the
South Bend Regional Airport. In November 2007 Lloyd and Nancy
were inducted into the South Bend Community Hall of Fame.
Although antique cars were his first love, Lloyd joined Nancy in
her love for horses. Together, Nancy and Lloyd enabled the
development of a permanent home for Reins of Life Therapeutic
Horseback Riding. Lloyd served many roles there, but his favorite
for many years was chief handyman. Lloyd was a member of the
Pioneer Automobile Association for over 50 years and some of his
family's fondest memories are of him in his 1950 Studebaker
Champion convertible. The family would like to thank the Center
for Hospice and Palliative Care nurses and Dr. Andrew Fiedler for
their wonderful care and support. Honoring Lloyd's wishes,
cremation has taken place and there will be no services. Burial
will be private. In lieu of flowers, Lloyd requested memorial
contributions be made to Reins of Life, 55200 Quince Road, South
Bend, IN 46619. The family will welcome visitors at the
Welsheimer Family Funeral Home, 521 N. William St., from 2 to 6
p.m. today, September 28th.
Published in the South Bend Tribune, Sept. 28, 2008.