|
Obituary for James Best Taylor
James Best Taylor was born to Wallace A. Taylor and Aldena Best Taylor in Norman, Oklahoma on July 11, 1956. He passed away on July 13, 2020 in Palestine, Texas. There will be a private family graveside with a memorial service to be held at a later date.
J.B. graduated from Norman High School in 1974 and attended Southwestern University in Weatherford, Oklahoma graduating with a degree in Pharmacy. His pharmacy degree took him many places from southern California to Palestine, Texas. He served as President of the Oklahoma Pharmaceutical Association, he was a 32nd degree Mason, and he was extremely active in various churches wherever he lived. He loved sports, playing golf, sailing, and music. He was also an avid OU fan! He was active in the Palestine Community Theatre, Trinity Valley Community Church, and Tres Dias. J.B. loved his family and his religion. He was always available to help and loved being around people. His Lord was his best friend and he never missed an opportunity to tell you about the beliefs he lived by.
He is survived by his fiancé, Brandy Burchett of Palestine; a brother, Stephen W. Taylor and wife Patti of Palestine, and a sister, Taysha Howe and husband John of Palestine. He had three nephews, M. Craig Adkins of Edmond, Oklahoma, S. Mark Adkins of Norman, Oklahoma, Jeff B. Taylor of Frisco; and one niece, Emy Taylor in Maine.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Tres Dias or Trinity Valley Community Church.
|
Victor Dee Long
RIP my friend, I think I can call JB my friend after all these years. I first knew JB's dad as I grew up in Norman as just one of the many that rode every street and knew every corner on my bike. It was not unusaul that I would find myself on the east end of Main and in front of the Taylor Rexall Drug ownded and run by his dad, a Pharmacist also. I used to love to enter the store just to smell the cool air of pharmacy and store goods. It was very hot many days and the drug store had some of the best refrigerated air. I never had any money so it was not to buy something but just to enter and explore the cool air, sounds,and scents. Later the store moved to west main, I think next to the TG&Y and the new location had a wonderful soda fountain and lunch counter. I would pick up pop bottles and turn them into the grocery stores and would bike to the drug store for my favorite grilled cheese or maybe ice cream. Never knowing later I would meet his son. Those were the days!
I got to know JB at West Junior HIgh, I think, and then of course NHS. With caution... JB and his friends, including me, had a party at the house when his dad was gone and it was truly a wild night and dangerous also. Somehow we all lived through it and still tell the story. If any of the party goers are reading this they are sure smiling in memory. I lost track of JB during college as I did most of my friends, but as I emered from my Nurse Anesthesia program in Houston I traveled through many towns in Oklahoma and was looking into a job opportunity in Frederick Oklahoma and there was the hospital pharmacist, JB Taylor. I will always remember how welcoming he was and his giant pile of sunflower seed hulls stacked like a pyramid in an old marble ashtray I remember was his dads, and if Frederick would have had more than one tree and more than one place to get a beer, other than the golf course, I might have stayed. Well my wife might have had something to say about that also.
Today I thank God that JB's path is smooth, free of burden and pain. His place is new and promised by our savior Jesus Christ. My prayers to the family; that their hearts lighten with joy over the weeks and they know he walks with our Lord.
Victor Long, Class of 74
John M. Jameson
great post vic! loved it. used to go to the jb's dad's drug store too! jb was a super nice guy always in a good mood. i musta missed that wild party! anyway rip jb