Charles Taylor

1979 - 2021

TAYLOR, Charles

Charles Keith Taylor of Atlanta, GA, age 42, ascended to his new life in Heaven on Thursday, September 16, 2021. Keith was born on April 4, 1979, in Greensboro, NC, to Ed and Becky Taylor. He grew up with his parents and sister, Kathryn Taylor Crockart, in a loving home in Greensboro.

Keith was a 1997 graduate of Grimsley High School in Greensboro, NC and a proud Tarheel as a 2001 alumnus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Immediately after graduation, Keith took his first professional job in advertising sales at the Winston-Salem Journal, in the days when local newspapers were still a big part of each community. His two years at the newspaper were formative for Keith. During this period, he considered multiple future career paths, ultimately deciding to attend law school.

Keith chose Wake Forest University Law School in Winston-Salem, NC for this education, a decision he was forever grateful for given the ways in which his Wake Law experiences and relationships enriched and guided his life. He graduated from Wake Law in 2006, and clerked with Parker, Hudson, Rainer & Dobbs, a prestigious law firm, at their office in Atlanta. Both the law firm and the city of Atlanta became permanent homes for Keith.

Keith worked at Parker Hudson for 15 years, developing his knowledge and skills as an attorney, specializing in commercial finance, and always conducting himself with the highest degree of integrity. In 2015, Keith became a partner in the firm. Amongst his many contributions, he was instrumental in developing and growing Parker Hudson's healthcare finance practice. He was loved and respected by the firm, his peers, and his clients.

Keith was dedicated to his own family life. He was married twice, to two women that he loved dearly. On November 17, 2006, he married Katie Ferraris Taylor, whom he met and fell in love with while studying together at Wake Forest. Immediately following graduation, Katie was diagnosed with leukemia. This devastating illness did not deter Keith in any way. He loved her, he married her, and he was faithfully by her side when she passed away on April 7, 2007.

It took a long time for Keith to find love again. But his patience was rewarded with a second Katie. On September 6, 2015, Keith married Katie Stoudenmire Taylor, starting a new life and partnership together. In 2016 Keith and Katie welcomed their first child, a daughter, Charlotte Kathryn, named after her dad, with Charlotte being a feminine form of Charles. In 2019 the family welcomed the arrival of Iva Lucille "Lucy", named in memory of her paternal great grandmother, Iva Holland. Charlotte and Lucy were the pride and joy of Keith's life. He was made to be a Dad and embraced being a daddy to two darling daughters.

The Taylor, Ferraris, and Stoudenmire families, with Keith being the common bond, continue an incredible closeness today.

For those that knew Keith, the pain of his sudden loss is immense. To Keith, family, friendship, and faith were paramount. He offered the unique ability to empathize perfectly with a person in need, could be the life of the party, and was a fully devoted and talented father. His unwavering love of family and faith as well as his humor, loyalty and passion for life will forever leave an indelible mark on those who knew him. Keith's smile was unforgettable, especially if you ever saw him sing karaoke, play trivia, run from bulls, tube a river, complete a marathon, attempt a food-related challenge, or gaze at his wife and play with his two precious daughters.

Keith had a passion for worldwide travel, shaped by exploring much of the U.S. in a motorhome with his sister and parents when he was a young boy. Keith was active growing up, heavily involved with soccer, church, camping, and scouts, earning the rank of Eagle Scout. He truly had an exceptional mind and was always learning, leading to successes in college, law school, his legal career, and life in general. But all of Keith's successes and accolades did not define him. Rather, his deepest joys were reserved for those he loved and those who loved him in return.

Keith is survived by his devoted wife, Katie; daughters, Charlotte and Lucy; sister and brother-in-law, Kathryn and Mike Crockart; brother Greg Taylor; brother and sister-in-law Eddy and Jackie Taylor; parents-in-law, Lynn and Kim Stoudenmire; parents-in-law, Garry and Ginny Ferraris; and a large extended and loving family including cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Katie Ferraris Taylor, and his parents, Ed and Becky Taylor.

Please join us in celebrating Keith's remarkable life on Sunday, October 3, 2021 at 3:00 PM at his home church, Haygood Memorial United Methodist Church, 1015 E. Rock Springs Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30306.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials in Keith's memory be made to one of the following organizations near and dear to Keith's heart. One is The Katie Ferraris Taylor and C. Keith Taylor Oncology Nursing Fund, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, 1762 Clifton Rd. NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30322. To make a gift by phone, call Emory at 404.712.4483. The other is Keith's beloved church where his family and faith flourished. Haygood Memorial United Methodist Church, 1015 E. Rock Springs Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30306. You may give to Haygood Memorial United Methodist Church's Endowment Fund online by selecting "endowment" on the drop down menu. https://onrealm.org/HaygoodMemorial/-/form/give/now