Charlene Flora Belknap Taylor

May 27, 1939 – April 19, 2018

Long-time Las Vegas resident, Charlene Flora Belknap Taylor, 78, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her entire family, after a rapid decline resulting from pneumonia. Charlene was born to Samuel Logan Belknap, Jr. and Flora Russell Walker Belknap on May 27, 1939 in Los Angeles, California.

She attended Transfiguration Parochial School and St. Mary’s Academy, later graduating from Dorsey High School in 1957. In November 1956 while on a family trip to Las Vegas, Charlene met her future husband, Richard Blackburn Taylor, General Manager of the Hacienda Hotel, where her family was staying on vacation.

The couple married June 23, 1957 and made their home in Las Vegas before moving to Palm Springs. In 1966 they returned to Las Vegas and developed strong ties to the Latter-day Saint and Mt. Charleston communities.

A convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), Charlene was a faithful member devoted to assisting young women to recognize their divine nature and individual worth. For 20 years, she served in the Young Women’s program as a teacher, President, and Stake Young Women’s President. Her affinity for young women included service to unwed mothers and struggling youth, whom she nurtured, supported, and encouraged throughout her life.

In the early 1970’s, she founded the 9th Ward newsletter as a project that united the ward members and provided information regarding ward news and activities. Shortly thereafter, she and her husband expanded their publishing endeavors to include a regional newspaper serving the LDS community called “The Beehive: The Good News Newspaper.” She was the paper’s photographer, reporter, writer, editor-in-chief, and publisher for many years. Charlene and Richard also founded and managed Metro Alarm Company in 1974 and upon retirement 11 years later, sold to Alarmco.

Known to many as “Sister Taylor,” Charlene is best defined by a life devoted to sincerely loving and serving others. All those who have known her would say that her finest quality was her genuine interest in the wellbeing of anyone who crossed her path. She was unwaveringly supportive, interested, and engaged in the wellbeing of others. Her love of God, testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and example of kindness and generosity has blessed the lives of thousands of individuals. Those who know her best will say there is no finer example of a Christ-centered life of service.

She often shared that her greatest source of pride was her four “little chickadees,” her grandchildren, extended family, and those who called Grandma T the only “mom” or “grandma” they had ever known. She loved everyone with all of her heart, attending their various activities, engaging and inquiring about their interests, sending cards with handwritten messages, giving just the right kinds of gifts, and, of course, taking pictures at every opportunity. She was the beloved matriarch of the Taylor family.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Samuel and Flora Belknap, brother, Edward Logan Belknap (1938), and her husband, Richard Taylor. She is survived by her brother, Carl Logan Belknap (Esther), children, Tamara, Russell (Amie) Taylor, Tina Taylor, Ronald (Dayleen) Taylor, 11 grandchildren (Mia; Shane, Malea, Jake; Logan; Andrew, Brandon, Tiffany, Brianna Tenille, Lauren, Thomas), and 1 great grandchild (Emma). She also adored her informally-adopted daughter, Cindy Jenkins, and her

children John, Shelby, William, Regan, and Madison, as well as her adopted Hmong Family, Kham Taylor Solima, and her eight children.

Visitation will be at 8:30 am, Saturday, April 28th, followed by a memorial service in celebration of her life at 10:00, both at the LDS Chapel located at 3400 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV, 89102. Burial will take place shortly thereafter at Palm Memorial Park-Northwest, 6701 N. Jones Blvd.