Linda Lou Taylor

LINDA L. TAYLOR- October 6, 1946 to August 4, 2015 Linda was born at Fort Knox, Kentucky to James L. and Cara Lou Aylor. She thus began a life-long association with the United States Army. She moved to numerous military postings with her family, here and overseas. Included among these were her father’s assignments to Texas, Georgia, Washington, Puerto Rico and Formosa. She attended high school at Fort Lewis, Washington; and graduated in Fairbanks, Alaska. As her father retired from the Army in 1964, the family moved to Clarksville, Tennessee and Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Linda attended Austin Peay University for 2 years while in Clarksville and worked briefly as a secretary. During this time she met her future husband, Wesley B. Taylor, Jr., who was serving at Fort Campbell in 1965. They dated for a year and a half and were married in June 1967, just before Wes’ first tour in Vietnam. Their daughter, Kathleen, was born prematurely near the end of 1967, with Wes returning briefly to Linda’s side from Vietnam. Their son, Clint, was born in August 1971 while the family was stationed near Santa Barbara, California, with ROTC duty at the University there. Faced with the daunting trials of an absentee father and husband, Linda persevered for two of their first three years of marriage while Wes performed nearly back-to-back tours in Vietnam. Wes often says that any woman, who would endure that, must be a keeper! And so, she was! Linda and Wes were married for 48 years from 1967-2015. Linda was a devoted Army wife and mother, who was the heart and soul of the family. She gracefully and cheerfully provided a loving and stable home for two active children, even when faced with the daily stressors of Army life that included frequent moves to new duty stations, long separation from friends and family, and Wes’s frequent absences from daily family life as he met the demands of a career that involved field exercises, training exercises and deployments. Linda was a bright light and positive influence in the lives of many people. She will be remembered as generous, kind, and giving; a loyal and faithful friend; and a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. Linda passed away at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on August 4, 2015, after nearly a year-long battle with lung cancer. Linda is survived by: her older brother, Robert L. Aylor of Port Orchard, Washington; and her husband, Wes, of Lexington, Virginia. Her children, Kathleen, of Woodbridge, Virginia and son, Clint, married to Lori, and their children Cameron and Hannah stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, further survive her. Family and guest should arrive at the Administration building by 9:30am on Wednesday, August 9th, where there will be a designated room to gather. At the top of the hour the cemetery representative will make an announcement for everyone to return to their cars and he will form the funeral procession which will lead us the gravesite for Linda's funeral service.