Walter Taylor

Walter S. Founder & President of Bully Hill Vineyards, Inc. Of Hammondsport, NY passed away on Friday, April 20, 2001. Walter was born on October 10, 1931, in Rochester, NY to the late Greyton Hoyt Taylor (1971) and Muriel Flander Taylor (1995). He was married to Lillian Rakic Taylor, July 29, 1984, who survives. Walter was raised in Hammondsport, a fourth generation grape grower and winemaker. After graduating from Staunton Military Academy, Staunton, VA in 1951, he attended Colgate University, University of Miami Art School and Embry Riddle Aviation School and graduated in 1961 from Alfred State College, Alfred, NY. He was Executive Vice-President of the Taylor Wine Company, Great Western Division, until 1970, when he established Bully Hill Vineyards, Inc. Walter founded the first wine museum in America in 1967, The Wine Museum of Greyton H. Taylor. Prior to his automobile accident, in January 1990, Walter had been an avid artist, inventor, flying enthusiast, musician, poet, author, tennis player, ham radio operator, owned and managed two commercial broadcast radio stations and personally covered and painted the NASA Columbia III Shuttle Flight in 1982. Over the years Walter had been a member of the Advisory Board of Colgate University, American Society of Eonologists, served on the Board of Directors at Sky Ranch, National Press Club and was vitally interested in freedom of speech and press. He is survived by three sons, Stephen D. Taylor and Gregory F. Taylor, at home and Walter J. Taylor of Syracuse, NY; a daughter, Margarete (Peter) Taylor-Toeneboehn of Danbury, CT; a step-daughter, Marina Espana of Hammondsport, NY; two sister, Ellen Jane Flanagan of Greenville, NC and Dinah Taylor of Bath, NY; two grandchildren, Grant Peter and Ellen Grace Toeneboehn of Danbury, CT; nephews, Greyton Flanagan, Shane Gould and Sean Gould; and niece, Muriel Flanagan Tomer. He is predeceased by his daughter, Stephanie Grace Taylor, who died in 1983. At Walter's request, there will be no calling hours. Private services will be held at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Branchport, NY. In celebration of Walter's lifelong passion for tennis a fund, in support of the tennis program, will be established, in his memory, at the Hammondsport Central School, c/o Jim Derr, Main St., Hammondsport, NY 14840. Arrangements are by the LaMarche Funeral Home, 35 Main St., Hammondsport, NY.