Submitted by: Dan Rich

John F. Taylor Jr.

April 23, 1926 - Feb. 21, 2008

South Bend Tribune 2/24/2008
SOUTH BEND – John, 81, died unexpectedly in his home on February 21, 2008. John was born April 23, 1926, in South Bend, to John F. Taylor Sr. and Maria (Mary Killelea) Taylor.

He is survived by his wife, Hilda (Buckles); a brother, Thomas "Tom" Taylor; and by several nieces and nephews. His parents and two sisters, Mary Alice Walsh and Kathleen Robinson, preceded him in death. John graduated from John Adams High School in 1944, then he entered the Navy. During his time of service he served on the USS Chester. When peace was declared at the end of World War II, he was on the ship in the China Sea.

John and Hilda married on September 15, 1956, in St. Joseph's Catholic Church, South Bend. He graduated from Western Michigan University in 1950. He then was employed for 38 years at O'Brien Paint Co., retiring in April 1988. Of the 38 years he worked there, nine years were in San Francisco. Hilda and John returned to South Bend in 1964. John was an avid fan of Notre Dame football. He loved golfing at Whispering Pines with his "buddies." John's love for golfing began as a caddie when he was a young boy at the Notre Dame Golf Course. John will be missed by all who knew him and will be remembered for his warm smile along with a joke.

John was a member of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, where a funeral Mass will be held at 9:30 a.m. Monday, February 25, 2008. Visitation will be held (today) Sunday, February 24, in McGann Funeral Home (Edison Road). Hours will be from 2 to 5 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice or to the Center for the Homeless.