Tyler Mark Taylor

Tyler Mark Taylor of Bedford, Texas, passed away on January 6, 2025, at the age of 78. He was born on October 4, 1946, in Jayton, Texas, to Robert and Donna Taylor. Mark grew up with a desire to fly and worked toward making that dream come true. After high school, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree, and while in school, he met Anita McFerrin who he married on April 5, 1969. They were blessed with three children and were married 55 years. After working as a substitute and at Texas Instruments, the two embarked upon the exciting journey of serving in the Army. Mark enlisted in 1973 and rose to the rank of Major before retiring after 20 years of service.

Mark fulfilled his dream of flying by becoming a helicopter pilot in the Army and graduated flight school at the top of his class. He understood the intricacies of the how a helicopter worked and could not only pilot the craft but fix it as well. His aptitude allowed him to fly three different aircraft: the OH-58 Kiowa, Huey, and Chinook.

The Army also provided many opportunities for traveling. Throughout the many duty stations, the Taylor family camped, built an igloo in Alaska, explored Europe, and earned too many medals on Volksmarches in Germany. Mark enjoyed learning history, and driving his family around in minivans on adventures all over the of the world. From black ice in Alaska to lost toll tickets in the Alps, memories were created on every trip.

Mark was a man of many talents. He had a mechanical mind but was also very artistic. He could fix most anything, although it was often with paperclips, super glue, or used coke cans. Mark decorated many cakes for his kids’ birthdays and always came up with designs to match their current interests. He had a love for all pets. He would allow Muffin to climb up on his flight suit, he gave Lizzy CPR when she got into some allergens, and gave Ziggy lots of treats.

Mark is survived by his wife Anita, daughter Trisha Handy and her husband Brian, son Tyler and wife Kazumi, son Todd and his wife Joann, and granddaughters Brianna Handy and Yukino Taylor. He was preceded in death by his father Robert Taylor and uncle Charlie Taylor In lieu of flowers, please donate in Mark’s name to Airport Freeway church of Christ  https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/906324