Joseph Taylor

Joseph C. "Joe" Taylor DAMASCUS, Va. Joseph C. "Joe" Taylor, age 73, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009, at Bristol Regional Medical Center in Bristol Tennessee. He was a native of Elizabethton, Tenn., and had lived in Pensacola, Fla., for 40 years prior to moving to Damascus in 2002. He retired from Monsanto Corporation in Pensacola and owned and operated his own air conditioning and heating company for many years while living in Florida. He was the proprietor of Taylor's Orchard in Damascus. Mr. Taylor was a former deacon and member of Myrtle Grove Baptist Church in Pensacola and was currently a member of the First Baptist Church in Damascus. He loved and served the Lord his whole life. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Helen Taylor; one daughter, Irene Knowles and her husband Philip, of Pace, Fla.; four sons, Stan Taylor and his wife Deborah, of Damascus, Johnathan Taylor and his wife Dolores, of Cantonment, Fla., Mark Taylor of Middleburg, Fla., and Gordon Taylor and his wife Dina, of Laurier, Wash.; one sister, Patsy Keltner and her husband Joe, of Springfield, Mo.; one brother, Bill Taylor and his wife Mildred, of Kingsport, Tenn.; 11 grandchildren, Cindy, Karen, Tony, Olivia, Brandon, Micah, Seth, Grace, Chloe, Simon and Sky; one great-grandson, Ben; and several nieces and nephews. The funeral service will be conducted at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 4, 2009, in the Riverview Chapel at Garrett Funeral Home with Rev. Wayne Guynn officiating. The committal service and interment will follow at 1 p.m. at Happy Valley Memorial Park in Elizabethton. Pallbearers will be Tony Williams, Richard Smith, Tom McGlamery, Brad Johnson, Tony Bebber and Rex Keltner. Honorary pallbearers will be his Sunday school class at First Baptist Church. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009, at Garrett Funeral Home. Online condolences may be sent to the family and a memorial tribute video may be viewed by visiting www.garrettfuneralhome.com Mr. Taylor and his family are in the care of Garrett Funeral Home, 203 N. Shady Ave., Damascus, VA 24236, 276-475-3631.