Gene Owen Taylor
Burial Details
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 6A - March 21, 2012
Gene Owen Taylor, 79, Grand Junction, died March 16, 2012, at
Hospice Care Center.
Visitation will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Callahan-Edfast Mortuary.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at First United Methodist
Church.
Mr. Taylor owned Gene Taylor Sporting Goods and a was philanthropist
to Western Colorado communities.
Survivors include three sons, Duke and Tony, both of Grand
Junction, and Marshal of Gunnison; three daughters, Amy Dyer,
Jenny Parsons and Roseanna Taylor, all of Grand Junction; one sister,
Ann Muhr Boyd of Grand Junction; 13 grandchildren; and four
great-grandchidlren.
Memorial contributions to Hospice & Palliative Care of Western
Colorado, 3090B North 12th St., Grand Junction 81506.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 7B - March 22, 2012
Gene Owen Taylor, 79, Grand Junction, died March 16, 2012,
at Hospice Care Center.
Visitation will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Callahan-Edfast Mortuary.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at First United Methodist
Church.
Mr. Taylor owned Gene Taylor’s Sporting Goods and was a philanthropist
to western Colorado communities.
Survivors include three sons, Duke and Tony, both of Grand
Junction, and Marshal of Gunnison; three daughters, Amy Dyer,
Jenny Parsons and Roseanna Taylor, all of Grand Junction; one sister,
Ann Muhr Boyd of Grand Junction; 13 grandchildren; and four
great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions to Hospice & Palliative Care of Western
Colorado, 3090B North 12th St., Grand Junction 81506.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 5B - March 23, 2012
Gene Owen Taylor was a very
g i v i n g m a n t o t h e
community…but he was so much
more. Gene passed away at the
Hospice & Palliative Care of
Western Colorado March 16th,
2012. His family, whom he loved
dearly, surrounded Gene.
On February 1, 1933, Gene was
born in Oberlin, Kansas, to Owen
O. and Evelyn Ida Taylor. Soon to join the Taylor family was Gene's
younger sister, Ann. In 1940, Gene and his family moved to Grand
Junction. He was raised in their family home at the corner of 7th and
Patterson, which at the time was considered way out in the country.
He loved playing sports, fishing with his father and riding his
horses, Midget and Toni. Gene attended Tope Elementary School
(the inaugural class), Grand Junction Junior High and Grand Junction
High School. He was a 13-time letterman in football, basketball,
baseball and track. Receiving the Joe Biggs Trophy for the most
outstanding all-around athlete was an accomplishment Gene always
was proud of. He graduated in 1951 and went on to play baseball
(his first love in sports) and study Pre-Med at the University of
Colorado. Gene was a four-year letterman in baseball while attending
CU, later receiving the prestigious award and induction into the
University of Colorado's "C Club", exclusive to an athlete's lettering
four years in a sport. After graduating in 1955, Gene played professional
baseball with the Baltimore Orioles organization where his
fondest memory was rooming with Brooks Robinson in his 1956
spring training. He played three years in professional baseball, from
Washington, D.C., to Tijuana, Mexico, before beginning his own
family life right here in Grand Junction.
Gene married his high school sweetheart, Nancy Ann Maurer of
Palisade, Colorado, in 1954. Gene and Nancy raised six children.
Their children include Amy Dyer (Jon), Duke Taylor (Kim), Marshal
Taylor (Irene), Jenny Parsons (Scott), Tony Taylor (Shelly),
and Roseanna Taylor. Gene was blessed with 13 grandchildren,
Cayenna Hanna (Joe), Dylan Dyer, Myra Dyer Norton (Sam), Elli
Taylor, Haley Taylor, Tasha Taylor, Jamie Zwickl (Adam), Katie
Taylor, Kelby Strauch (Derrick), Cooper Parsons, Emma Taylor,
Maddie Taylor, and Owen Taylor. Gene was also blessed with four
great-grandchildren, Henry, Ari and Hadara Hanna, and Reid
Zwickl.
In 1958, Gene purchased Treece Rod & Gun, re-naming it Taylor
Rod & Gun, later to become Gene Taylor's Sporting Goods. Gene
Taylor's success was not just limited to having a business that
survived for more than 50 years. His success came from his sincere
and genuine generosity of giving back to the community, especially
the kids. He gave to numerous organizations throughout the years
without asking for anything in return, knowing that it was just the
right thing to do. Eventually, Gene's first love came back full circle
when he started the Gene Taylor's American Legion Baseball Team
in 1972. Through the American Legion Team he not only touched
the lives of hundreds of young ball players but also captured the
love and admiration of their families. Gene gave his heart and soul
to the ball club and to this day the Gene Taylor's American Legion
Baseball Team is still in full swing.
G e n e h a s b e e n a c k n o w l e d g e d i n G r a n d J u n c t i o n f o r h i s
involvement with youth baseball. The Alpine Bank JUCO World
Series will forever display Gene's name in the Home Run Alley. The
Colorado Dugout Club also recognized his years of dedication to
youth baseball when Gene was inducted in the Colorado Baseball
Hall Of Fame in the inaugural class of 2010.
Gene remarried in 1976 to Beverlee Ann Plowman of Grand
Junction. Beverlee brought three sons into the marriage and four
grandchildren, Kent (Laura), Andy and Cody, Michael (Patti),
Lauren and Cole, and Steve. Gene and Beverlee enjoyed each other
in their later years of marriage. They spent time together at the one
place Gene felt most at home, his cabin on the Uncompahgre. Here
they rode their horses, fished and watched abundant wildlife. After
Beverlee's passing, Gene continued to spend time at the cabin with
his faithful companion and friend, Abby. Abby, Gene's Jack Russell
Terrier, was there to the end, always at Gene's side with her love and
devotion.
His parents, Owen and Evelyn Taylor and his wife, Beverlee
p re c e d e d Ge n e in d e a t h . His c h ild r e n , g ra n d c h i ld r e n a n d
great-grandchildren survive Gene. Gene is also survived by his
sister, Ann Muhr Boyd(Dusty); nephew, Andy Muhr (Brenda); Kyle
and Cammi; nieces, Kathy Hart (Michael), Rebecca and Ian; Bev
Campbell (Dave); Julie and Spencer; aunt, Dorothy Harr Burns and
several cousins.
A viewing will be held at Callahan-Edfast Mortuary, 2515 F Road,
Grand Junction, from 1 - 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 25th, 2012. A
Celebration of Gene's Life will be held at the First United Methodist
Church, 522 White Avenue, Grand Junction, at 2:00 p.m., Monday,
March 26th, 2012.
Please consider memorial contributions to Hospice & Palliative
Care of Western Colorado, 3090B N. 12th Street, Grand Junction,
Colorado 81506. Gene gave generously over the years to Hospice
because he believed deeply in their mission and quality services. At
the end, it was this same generosity that was given back to him. We
thank Hospice for their amazing staff that took such excellent care
of our Dad in his final months. We will be forever grateful to all of
you.
