Carol P. Taylor

It is so hard to believe that on a postcard perfect Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 17, 2023, while her favorite Christian group Need to Breathe played on her cell phone in her bedroom, our dear, sweet mother of 86 years took her final breath on this earth and entered the glorious presence of Jesus!

Her life demonstrated for us how to live our faith and her gracious way of suffering illness; how to die.

Carol was a faithful servant of Jesus. She surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus as a teen at a Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., and gave public profession of faith at a Billy Graham Crusade in D.C. soon after.

Carol was born in Goldsboro, NC and attended Mars Hill College for two years, then on to nursing school at the Medical College of VA, and then on to Johnston Willis, both in Richmond, VA. Carol’s plan was to become a missionary nurse. While in Richmond, Carol met Roy D. Taylor and shortly after completing her RN, Carol and Roy were married on June 7, 1960!

Carol served faithfully alongside Roy D. Taylor, who graduated from Union Theological Seminary in 1960, during his forty-four years of pastoral ministry. Carol was a wonderful pastor’s wife, serving as President of the Women of the Church, teaching Sunday School, serving children through Vacation Bible School, and leading missions projects as together they served congregations in the PCUSA beginning in Bunnlevel, NC and including churches in Tryon, NC; Berryville, VA; and Walhalla, SC, where Roy and Carol retired from the ministry in 2004. Upon retirement Carol and Roy moved to Taylors, SC, where they joined First Presbyterian Church of Greenville, SC.

Carol continued serving the church even after retirement, and for the next fifteen years she would dedicate her time and effort to serving inmates in South Carolina and around the country through Crossroads Prison Ministries and their mentorship program and Bible study courses.

Carol’s faith was more than a Sunday affair and was evident in her passionate commitment to reform within the PCUSA through Presbyterians for Renewal and the Christian Life Conference in Montreat, NC. Carol loved music (Toby Mac and Need to Breathe), movies (Jefferson Moore, Kendrick Brothers, Erwin Brothers, and China Cry), and the rigors of engaging in political conversation and becoming a local legend on Greenville conservative talk radio. She was a solid pro-life advocate and took part in prayer rallies and the March for Life in Washington, DC.

One of the crowning achievements in Carol and Roy’s ministry was their support of Ballet Magnificat and the countless hours and energy spent bringing the internationally renowned troupe for a performance at Walhalla Pres. in Walhalla, SC.

Carol derived a simple joy from spending time raking leaves in the yard alongside her beloved husband.

Carol is survived by her sisters, Diane Neveu and Charlene Cutting; her daughters Deborah Hollie Peterson, Pam and her husband, Willie Mangum, and Melinda Vest; her grandsons Robert Donald and her great-grandchildren Bekah and Reagan, and her grandson Michael Hollie and her great-grandchildren Landon and Alice Mia Faith.

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