Brenda S. Taylor

of Tampa, Florida. Brenda passed away on March 23, 2022, after a constant battle with COPD

(Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).

Brenda is survived by brothers, Woodard C. Fowler, Mark E. Fowler, Bret S. Fowler and Randall Y. Fowler, niece Jennifer Fowler Fitch, nephew Marshall C. Fowler, and great-nephew Austin Styer.

Brenda, born to Wallace Fowler and Doris Rentz Fowler, was born on May 11, 1951

in Tampa. She immediately filled the lives of those around her with joy and

happiness. As a child, she excelled in school and also played the saxophone in her

high school marching band. She loved spending time with her brothers who she

mentored and took care of her whole life.

While growing up, she worked at her family restaurant, Rentz Diner from 1966 – 1986, starting off as a waitress working her way up to manager. After graduating Tampa Bay Vo-Tech High School in 1970, she worked at Hallmark Haefale from 1970 -1972, where she actually designed a few of the Apollo Mission embroidered patches for NASA personnel uniforms and space suits. Brenda then married David J. Taylor who joined the navy, and they were stationed in Rota, Spain for 3 years. This time in Spain was one of her favorite times. Eventually she and Dave separated. The Diner unfortunately closed in 1986. This is where she started her career as a draftsperson with DSA Group Inc, along with brother Randy, through 1996. While at DSA she became known at Florida Department of Transportation as a TTC (Temporary Traffic Control) expert. She was then promoted to Senior Highway Designer during her time at Kisinger Campo & Associates. In 2002, she joined her brother Randy and previous co-workers from DSA at Boyle Engineering until 2008, Jacobs Engineering until 2013. She was currently working with BES Engineering, where she met the company owner Dilip Mundkur, who has been a blessing to Brenda and her

family. Dilip has gone above and beyond in assisting Brenda through these rough times. Brenda had artistic talents. A few of them were wood working, painting, and stained-glass art. But if you really

knew Brenda, you would never see her without her Buc’s gear on. Come into her house you would think you were in a Buccaneer Museum. As Brenda would say, “Go Bucs!”.

Brenda lived a full and vibrant life with family and friends she could always count on. To honor a few of her closest, among many others. Her supervisor at DSA Group, Maria Lisa Hansen who passed in 1997, was her mentor the encouraged her to specialize is TTC design, and later in Lisa’s life was her best friend. Her “Spare-Son” as she called him, and he calls her “Spare-Mom”, since she had no biological sons of her own, Anthony Shirah and his wife Brenda Degroot Shirah. They were always there for her. When her health began to fade in 2018, she needed full time care for about a year and went to live with them in Greenwood, Florida. Where together, they survived Hurricane Michael in October 2018 and lived to tell the tale. Edwin Elson has been in her life since 1992, she considered him as another brother. Ed lived with her for 7 years from 1992-1999, and spent many vacations and fun times, as well as supported through rough times, with the entire family. Life-long friends, Mitchell and Sarah Cannon, would check on her as lived across the street. Their daughter Brandy Cannon resided with Brenda and

would keep check on Brenda’s condition and advise the family. The family love they had for each other was abundant and recognized by others. She will missed by all who knew her!

Services will be held at Blount and Curry Funeral Home at Garden of Memories, 4207 East Lake Ave., Tampa, FL 33610, on Sunday, April 24th. Visitation at 1PM, Memorial Service at 2PM. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to COPDFoundation.org

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.gardenofmemoriestampa.com for the TAYLOR family.