Richard Taylor

1943 - 2018

Richard Taylor

Phoenix - Phoenix— Richard "Dick`" Earl Taylor. Born December 10, 1943 in Phoenix, Arizona to Walter Earl Taylor and Cleo Taylor.

Passed away September 28, 2018, in Phoenix, where he was a lifelong resident. As a child, and his sisters spent their summers with their grandparents in southern California, where they were lucky enough to be a part of Disneyland's opening (singing Davey Crocket on stage). He graduated from Washington High School in 1964, where he played varsity tennis.

Richard attended U of A until being politely asked not to return after pulling one prank too many, at which point he began attending Arizona State University. He received his J.D. from ASU in 1973 after working and attending school full time for several years. He was admitted to the State Bar of Arizona in 1973, and founded Taylor & Associates law firm in 1975, focusing on workers compensation law. He continued his practice until his passing. He was known in the legal community for his dedication to his clients, his tireless work ethic that typically saw him in the office 7 days a week, and for his penchant for wearing shorts and sandals year-round and to formal events.

Richard pursued all of his interests to their furthest ends. He was an avid golfer, a voracious reader, a Saab enthusiast, a world traveler, and an animal lover. He played golf courses all around the world, reserving a particular fondness for Old Head in Kinsale, Ireland. He read 4-5 books on a weekly basis, filling the family library many times over, and contributing annually from his collection to Valley book drives. Over his life he rescued and provided home in his family home and office to hundreds of cats and many dogs as well. The care of those that remain will be seen to by his daughter, Brittany.

Richard's enthusiasm for Saabs and travel intersected in the form of vintage car rallies. His first, Peking to Paris, took place in 1997 (albeit in an ill-chosen Willis Jeep) a trip he documented in a weekly column for the Arizona Republic. With co-drivers Dave Pierce, Larry Davis, and his wife and daughter, Richard completed at least 20 rallies in over 100 countries around the world. He travelled for pleasure, but also as a means of connecting with people around the world, and to serve as an informal ambassador for the ideals of freedom, good citizenship, and human rights.

On one of these rallies, London to Cape Town, Richard and his family met and received assistance descending the Livingstone Mountains from a young local man named George. Struck by George's story of his wish to attend school and the many barriers in his way, Richard and family helped support the foundation of the Mzuzu International Academy in Malawi, which to this day provides education to boys and girls in the area who would otherwise be unable to attend school. He considered this among his greatest achievements in life.

Richard was preceded in death by his sister, Terri Sparkes and their parents, his daughter, Julienne Paige Wilkirson (1969-2011), and most recently, his wife Toni Taylor (1951-2018). He is survived by his daughter, Brittany Taylor, of Portland, Oregon, his sisters Karen Gleich and Donni Fleischaker, both of Phoenix, as well as numerous nieces and nephews and other family.

Richard is remembered as a wickedly smart, witty, and most of all, extremely compassionate person. While Richard was as far from religious as one can be, he would note that his belief was always in people, and their ability to help each other to form a more equitable world. His work, his immense spirit of giving, and his reassuring guidance to all those in his life stand as a testament to his belief in the power of human kindness.

Richard's family, along with his many friends and associates in Arizona and around the globe, are charged with carrying forward his legacy of generosity and compassion. In that spirit, the family asks that in lieu of flowers or cards, individuals wishing to remember Richard do so by making a tax-free donation to the Arizona Humane Society or to the Maloto Foundation (https://maloto.org), the legal title of the Mzuzu Academy in Malawi. A celebration of life will be held in the Summer of 2019, following Richard's wishes, notification for which will be placed in the newspaper in advance of the event.