Jerry V. Taylor, 72, of Pennsylvania Furnace, died Friday, Aug.14, 2009, peacefully at his home. He was the husband of Kathleen Egan Taylor, with whom he shared 48 years of marriage.
Born in St. Mary's, he was a son of Willis and Helen Eldred Taylor. Jerry was a member of Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, State College, and the Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society, Philadelphia Chapter, and the Railway Historical Society, Horseshoe Curve Chapter. He worked for the U.S. Postal Service in State College for 29 years. Before he became ill, Jerry loved taking long bike rides, hikes, canoeing, sailing and other outdoor adventures. Jerry and Kathleen enjoyed exploring the Rails to Trails in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Jerry was known to race his teen-aged grandsons, Mike and Matt, to the top of Mount Mansfield in Vermont. Even after he became ill, he loved traveling to watch his grandsons, Kent and Brian, play ice hockey, his granddaughter, Lara, play soccer, and to go boating with his grandchildren, Jacob and Rachel. Jerry was an avid Pennsylvania Railroad fan. He enjoyed riding the rails in Pennsylvania and across the country, attending railroad conventions, photographing trains, and building a model of the Pennsylvania Railroad in their basement.
In addition to his wife, Jerry is survived two daughters, Sharon and her husband, Henry Hayes, and their children, Mike and Matt, of Essex Junction, Vt., Joan and her husband, Chris Mack, and their children, Kent, Lara and Brian, of Chapel Hill, N.C.; and a son, Mark, and his wife, Michele, and their children, Jacob and Rachel, of Greencastle. Jerry is also survived by a brother, John, of Fort Worth, Texas. Jerry was predeceased in death by his parents and a sister, Carol Marcavage, of Michigan.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Aug.17, 2009, at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, 820 Westerly Parkway, State College, with Monsignor David Lockard officiating. Burial will be in Newton Cemetery, Emporium.
In lieu of flowers donations in his memory may be made to the Society for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Executive Plaza III, 11350 McCormick Road, Suite 906, Hunt Valley, MD 21031 or to Centre Crossings Hospice, Centre HomeCare Inc., Suite 6, 2437 Commercial Blvd., State College, PA 16801. Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, 2401 S. Atherton St., State College, PA 16801.