JAMES M. TAYLOR Sr.

TAYLOR JAMES MARLIN TAYLOR, SR. (Age 79) James M. Taylor, Sr. of Austin, Texas, died August 27, 2013. Mr. Taylor is survived by Shelly Taylor and daughter, Virginia Scott, both of Austin; son, James Jr. of Washington, DC; five grandchildren, brother Jack of Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania and sister Cheryl Desmond of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Born in Pottsville, PA, on May 15, 1934, to John W. and Mary Taylor, Mr. Taylor graduated as valedictorian of Pottsville High School in 1952, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with distinction in 1956, and earned a Master in Nuclear Engineering and a Master of Science in Naval Architecture from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1961. A Cold War warrior who later turned to keeping the U.S. nuclear industry safe, Mr. Taylor served under Admiral Rickover for more than 25 years in the U.S. Navy and the Department of Defense, focusing on the development and construction of nuclear-powered attack submarines, including serving as project manager of the Los Angeles Class Fast Attack Submarine Program from 1974 to 1980. Following the incident at the Three Mile Island reactor, Mr. Taylor joined the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 1980, ultimately serving as both Executive Director of Operations and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Taylor instilled in his staff the importance of focus, vigilance, and safety in all aspects of regulatory oversight. During his tenure, he significantly improved U.S. nuclear power plant safety, receiving four citations for meritorious and distinguished service from former Presidents Reagan, G.H.W. Bush, and Clinton. In addition to his track record of safety, Mr. Taylor improved opportunities for all agency employees, implementing child care and fitness centers, a health care facility, alternative work schedules, and employee assistance programs. He accomplished all these improvements while significantly reducing the agency's budget and he was recognized with awards from both the Office of Personnel Management and the organization Blacks in Government. Mr. Taylor led the first U.S. delegation to visit the Chernobyl disaster site in 1988, building critical cooperation with the Soviet successor republics of Russia and Ukraine and later served on the advisory commission on safety standards at the International Atomic Energy Agency. Mr. Taylor worked with various U.S. agencies to ensure that the victims of Chernobyl received medicine to treat radiation exposure and assisted his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts in the development of appropriate standards to ensure safety going forward. His work built trust and lifelong friendships with former Cold War enemies. Mr. Taylor will be fondly remembered as a force for honor, integrity, and decency, and, on a personal level, as a loyal friend and loving father who always put family first. Funeral services and interment with Full Military Honors will be held at Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, DC, at a later date. When that date is known, it will be posted at bit.ly/1drqGSC. Mr. Taylor died from Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD). FTD is a disease that causes atrophy of the brain and a gradual, progressive loss of brain function. Although not well known, FTD represents an estimated 10%-20% of all dementia cases and is recognized as one of the most common dementias affecting a younger population. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations in Mr. Taylor's name be made to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration at bit.ly/1drqGSC.In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations in Mr. Taylor's name be made to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration at bit.ly/1drqGSC.