Dr. Jack Howard Taylor, Sr.'s Obituary
Dr. Jack Howard Taylor, 90, died on October 26, 2012. Dr. Taylor was a lifelong Memphian. He graduated from Southside High School in 1940 and Southwestern at Memphis in 1944, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa. During WWII he served at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. After the war he received his Ph.D. in physics from The Johns Hopkins University and returned to the Naval Research Laboratory where he developed the optical system of the Sidewinder missile. At the invitation of his mentor and life long friend, Dr. Peyton Rhodes, Dr. Taylor returned to Memphis in 1956 to join the faculty at Southwestern at Memphis (Rhodes College) where he taught until he retired in 1992. He was the recipient of the Dean’s Award for Research and Creativity at Rhodes and the American Physical Society’s Pegram Award for outstanding teacher. Dr. Taylor was an enthusiastic teacher and supporter of his students, many of whom have also had distinguished careers in physics. Fully invested in their lives, he thought of them as his children, as well. Locally he was a strong proponent of science education and his lecture room at Rhodes was a frequent destination for ‘field trips’ by science clubs, astronomy clubs, and scouts. Dr. Taylor seized any opportunity to pass his love of “natural philosophy” to all those around him. It was impossible to visit him at home without an impromptu physics experiment or quiz on Latin. Although passionate about science, ”The Old Man’s” greatest love was his family who are so grateful for his bountiful life. Dr. Taylor is survived by: Sara Sparr Taylor, his wife of 68 years, whom he lovingly referred to as “meine Frau”; William Sparr Taylor, “number two son”; John Charles Taylor, “number three son”; and Harold Sparr Taylor, “number four son.” He is preceded in death by Jack Howard Taylor Jr., “number one son” , and sister Marie Taylor Cockrill. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. Visitation will be Tuesday, October 30, at 1 p.m. at Memorial Park Funeral Home, followed by the service at 2:30. In lieu of flowers please send any memorials to Rhodes College or the Memphis Food Bank.
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