Robert M. Taylor

1955 - 2021

Taylor, Robert M.
1955 - 2021
Robert Moroz Taylor, age 66, loving husband, father, and grandfather passed away of pancreatic cancer on January 15, 2021, at Kobacker House Hospice, Columbus, Ohio. Born in Columbus, Ohio, January 7, 1955. "Bob", "Bobby", "BT" came from a loving family that valued education, culture, and caring about those less fortunate. He was a man of great intelligence, integrity, spirituality, and humanity, who devoted his life to caring for others, including those at the end-of-life. At Whetstone High School, Bob was an honors student and held records as a member of the Track and Cross Country teams. At Harvard University, he majored in Biology; he brought his faithful dog Sarah to the commencement ceremony! Bob earned his M.D. from The Ohio State University and completed his Residency in Neurology at Dartmouth Medical School. He established a private practice in Granville, Ohio, with a hospital appointment at Licking Memorial Hospital in Newark, Ohio, where he was voted "Social Work Doctor of the Year." Next came a Fellowship in Clinical Medical Ethics at the University of Chicago. He became a Roxane Scholar in Palliative Care at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, a Fellow of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and a Palliative Care physician at Mount Carmel East and The OSU Wexner Medical Center. Bob was the first non-oncologist elected Chief of Staff of the OSU James Cancer Hospital. Like his father before him, Bob was a brilliant teacher. He was an Associate Professor at OSU in Clinical Neurology, Internal Medicine and Palliative Care. From 2017 – 2020, he was the Associate Medical Director at Care Dimensions Hospice House in Waltham, Massachusetts, before retiring and returning to Columbus, Ohio, in May, 2020. During his distinguished career as a physician, he was a friend and mentor to many younger colleagues who greatly benefited from his teaching and guidance. Bob's proudest accomplishment was his marriage to Joan Gibb Taylor, becoming a father to Sadie and Hilary, and grandfather to Joss and Mara. The family enjoyed time together, including this past summer canoeing on the Olentangy River near their home. Bob and Joan took many cruises together: "the only way to get Bob to stop working!" They traveled to visit relatives and to many countries around the world. With his daughter Sadie, Bob took trips to Russia as chaperone with the Columbus Children's Choir, and to Washington, D.C. for President Obama's 2008 inauguration. With his daughter Hilary, Bob hiked part of the Appalachian Trail, and she accompanied him on a medical mission to the Republic of Kosovo. Bob loved people and conversations. He was a devoted brother, cousin, and uncle to his extended family. He was a friend to many in all walks of life, including his numerous Facebook friends. Bob faced death with grace and love for others. He wrote and spoke openly about his final illness. He said he had been preparing for this moment since he was in high school by reading and discussing philosophy and religious teachings. Bob was a man of deep faith and spirituality. Like Gandhi, Bob believed in living life, day to day, as meaningfully as possible in the face of mortality. Preceded in death by parents William Johnson and Florence ,Moroz Taylor, beloved aunts, uncles, and cousins. Survived by wife, Joan Gibb Taylor; daughters, Sadie (Mike) Palmisano and Hilary (Aaron) Witt; grandchildren, Joss and Mara Palmisano; sisters Linda, Joan, and Barbara Taylor; aunt, Dorothy Willis; uncle, Eugene (Joann) Moroz; and many cousins and second cousins. Bob considered himself a brother to his wife's 11 siblings and an uncle to their many children and grandchildren. Bob was someone you could always call and rely upon to "be there" for his family, friends, and colleagues. Above all, he was a kind and compassionate man. "When he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars, and he will make the face of heaven so fine, that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun." (William Shakespeare). Due to Covid-19 concerns, there will be a private funeral service for immediate family. A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held at a future date. Please check the funeral home website or Bob's Facebook page for date and time. To send an online condolence, please visit www.schoedinger.com. The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center along with the Center for Bioethics and the Division of Palliative Medicine are establishing the Robert M. Taylor, MD Lecture in Ethics and Palliative Care to honor Bob's years of service and contribution. For guidance on how to contribute to this fund and, in lieu of flowers, please contact Kelly.Bolt@osumc.edu at the Center for Bioethics. Funeral arrangements entrusted to SCHOEDINGER NORTHWEST.