Nancy Taylor

Taylor Nancy Taylor (Age 90) died peacefully at her home on July 5, 2015 after a short illness. She was an accomplished artist and singer, avid gardener and lover of nature, and a warm and generous friend to all who knew her. She was active in the life of St. James Episcopal Church from its founding in the 1950s, and sang in the church choir, a strong clear voice in the soprano section until just months before her passing. With her husband Bill, Nancy enjoyed seeing new places. Over the years they traveled to 47 states, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Croix, Barbados, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Luxemburg, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and Spain. Many of these she commemorated in her art. Born February 19, 1925 in Alexandria, Virginia, to Virginia Dare and John Kenneth Aitcheson, Nancy had an older brother, John Kenneth Jr. She attended Alexandria public schools, graduating high school in three years due to hard work and an accelerated schedule at the start of World War II. In high school, she played varsity basketball. She graduated from Mary Washington College (now University of Mary Washington) in May 1945 with a bachelor's degree in Art. She and Bill married that June. She worked in the art department of the Hecht Co. and as an art teacher in Alexandria public schools. She was an active artist all her life, exploring all subjects in media ranging from charcoal and oil painting to pastels and watercolor. She illustrated several books of poetry authored by Roberta Newton Taylor, her mother-in-law. Nancy raised five children, imbuing them with a love of beauty, strength of purpose, and caring. In the fall of 1953 Bill contracted polio, and in many ways she assumed the duties of head of household. For a year that Bill spent in an "iron lung" at Walter Reed Hospital, she visited him daily, driving through Washington, DC and back to their home near Mt. Vernon to care for three small children. When Bill came home from the hospital and pursued a demanding recovery regime of physical therapy, Nancy supported him fully. He said later that his adjustment to life after that "would never have been possible without the daily support and love of my wife, Nance." She is survived by five children and their spouses (William B. Taylor, Jr. and Deborah Furlan Taylor, Anne Taylor Cregger Patterson and George Patterson, Paul Kenneth Taylor and Robin Lee Taylor, Katharine Clarke Taylor, and David Aitcheson Taylor and Elizabeth L. Smith). She also leaves ten grandchildren and their spouses: Daniel (and Meg Hopkins) Cregger, Zachary, Jacob and Samuel Cregger; Christopher and Mary Morgan Taylor; Maxwell (and Amanda Sue) Taylor and Dana Taylor; and Mathias and Ian Nace; along with two great-grandchildren. Her family is grateful to the devoted care and friendship of many, especially Joshua Elliott. A memorial service to celebrate Nancy's life will be held on Saturday, July 11 at 2 p.m. at St. James Episcopal Church, 5614 Old Mill Road, Alexandria. Interment with her husband at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in her memory to the church. www.demainefunerals.com