On Monday morning, my old man, Mr. Ed (Edward Joseph Taylor) finally bought the farm that he was always talking about, if he ever won the lottery. At the very ripe (someone would say overly ripe) age of 90, he passed away quickly and peacefully in his chair without any signs of suffering.
Originally of 681 Irwin Street (the house his father built), in Ville-Émard, Montreal, PQ., he was the youngest child of John “Jack” Taylor, and Grace Taylor (nee Greenfield). It was there that he was introduced to my mother, Maude Ruth MacDonald, by their mutual friends, Joan and Algis Rimkus, and there that they married, and had their first of three sons, John. From there, they moved to Sarnia, Ontario, where my little brother and I were born.
In 1973, they moved us back to Ma’s home town of Glace Bay, in Cape Breton. There, Mr. Ed worked on the Cape Breton Steam Railway, for DevCo, refurbishing and maintaining the antique steam locomotives, the Old 42, and the 926 Repton. He also cofounded the first chapter of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Nova Scotia there, in Saint Anne’s Parish. He was active in that charity for forty years, and helped put food on the table for thousands of people.
He moved to Yarmouth to live his last few years with what he imagined was his independence, in his own apartment, in the house of John and his wife, Bonnie, who provided for his every need.
He was predeceased by his parents, his wife, Ma, his older sister, Mary Grace Kirk, his older brother, Dr. Kenneth Taylor, and his youngest son, Cory Taylor. He was survived by his sons, John, and me (Jamie), his daughter-in-law, Bonnie Ross, his daughter-in-common-law, Ann Gawyuk, his beloved nieces, Colleen (and her parents, Calder and Georgie), Janice Macintosh (and her daughter, Hannah, whom he was so proud of), Jocelyn Marshall, Theresa Santos, who was more like a daughter to him (and her family, husband Jorge, children Dr. Calvin Santos, Caroline Pacheco (and her new baby, August), and Christopher Santos), Dr. Jennifer Taylor-Sutton, Marion Jackson, and by his nephews, Jonathan MacIntosh, and Jonathan “JP” Taylor, not to mention all of the beloved nephews and nieces of the Bailey clan.
There will be a visitation for him at Patten‘s funeral home, in Glace Bay on Sunday November 17, from 6 PM until 8 PM. The funeral service will be at 10 a.m. on Monday, November 18, followed by a reception at Saint Anne’s Church in Glace Bay. He will be interred with Cory and Ma at Oakfield Cemetery, Marion Bridge, Cape Breton, on Monday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Donations in Ed’s memory may be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Family flowers only, please.
