Dru Hutchinson Dehart

Thomas O. "Tommy" Taylor
Thomas O. "Tommy" Taylor Fort Pierce, FL Thomas O. "Tommy" Taylor (1927-2018), loving husband, father, veteran, teacher and friend, died Tuesday, June 5 after a brief illness. Born to Margaret E and Thomas Arch Taylor, he was a native and lifelong resident of Ft. Pierce. He joined the Army and spent time on Okinawa as a radar operator. Following his active duty, he joined the National Guard, serving as a mess sergeant. He received the Distinguished Service Medal for rescuing people during the August 1949 hurricane. He retired after 23 years of service and was a lifetime member of the American Legion and VFW Post 40. Taylor was a mechanic and was co-owner of Snow and Taylor Lawnmower, Cushman and Auto Electric. "Mr. T" taught auto mechanics at Ft. Pierce Central School for 15 years and remained a close friend and mentor of many of his students. After retiring from teaching Taylor earned his Captain's license, working as a tugboat captain and running his own charter service on his sailboat "Wings." Taylor is preceded in death by two brothers, David Taylor and Jack Taylor. He is survived by brother Clifford Taylor, wife Eleanor Taylor, son Thomas Taylor (Julie Shankle), and daughter Tish Taylor Chapman (Mark Willis). His grandchildren are Lindsey Compton, Landon Chapman, Kati Chapman Sherrard (Ryan), and Trey Chapman (Kelli). His great-granddaughter is Madison Rogers. A memorial service is planned for Monday, June 11, 5pm at Southside Christian Church on Edwards Road. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to the VFW or the Wounded Warrior Project.
Published in the TC Palm on Jun. 10, 2018

Posted on: Jun 24, 2019 at 12:03 AM

Posted on: Jun 24, 2019 at 12:02 AM