Leah Oldacre Taylor

Leah Oldacre Taylor, 59, passed away on Sunday, October 15, 2017, surrounded by friends and family. Leah was born and raised in Prattville, Alabama and was a proud graduate of the Montgomery Academy where she served as President of the student body. She excelled on the Eagles golf team, winning the state championship in 1973. Leah graduated magna cum laude from the University of Alabama where she was in the inaugural class of New College. While at the University, she was an active member of Delta Delta Delta Sorority where she served as Vice President, Pledge Trainer and flag football quarterback. Leah had a distinguished academic record as an Alumni Honors Scholar and member of Phi Beta Kappa, Mortar Board, Campus Activities Executive Board and Omicron Delta Kappa, among many other noteworthy honors culminating in her being selected a member of the University’s “Who’s Who” in 1980. Leah was also an accomplished athlete. An A-Club member, she played on the University’s women’s golf team.

After graduation, Leah started law school at Vanderbilt University where she was a member of the Vanderbilt Law Review. She later transferred to the University of Alabama School of Law. At Alabama, Leah quarterbacked the legendary Legal Eagles football team to an undefeated record.

Leah practiced law for over thirty years in Prattville and Birmingham. She was a highly-respected trial attorney who handled significant civil litigation of all types and was consistently listed as one of the state’s top trial lawyers in virtually every peer-reviewed publication. Leah was a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, the American Association for Justice, the Alabama Association for Justice, and a fellow of the the Alabama Law Foundation. She received numerous honors throughout her career, earning SuperLawyers distinction for the past nine years, including Top 25 Women in the Law.

Aside from practicing law, Leah and her husband, Ted Taylor, engaged in the business of breeding and raising thoroughbred horses on Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky and in Saratoga Springs, New York, where they were named Breeder of the Year by the New York Racing Association in 2012.

Leah was preceded in death by her father, Bill Oldacre of Prattville and her stepson, Tedford Taylor, of Birmingham. She is survived by her travel companion, law partner and husband of 36 years, Ted Taylor; children, Leah Catherine Reader (Chris) of Montgomery and Charlie Taylor of Birmingham; two stepdaughters and a daughter-in-law, Caroline Crawford (David) of Atlanta, Tracy Sproule (Gordon) of Birmingham and Kelly Taylor of Tampa; mother, Sue Fisher of Birmingham; brother, Bill Oldacre (Felice) of Nashville; sisters, Suzanne Boozer (Trent) of Birmingham and Leslie Sellers (Doug) of Nashville; grandchildren, Melanie Crawford, Ben Crawford, Catherine Crawford, Olivia Sproule, Robert Sproule, Ford Taylor and Pollard Taylor; as well as many cherished nieces and nephews.

The family expresses many heartfelt thanks to the doctors and nurses of St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham and the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center in Nashville.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. at First United Methodist Church of Birmingham (518 19th Street N.) on Thursday, October 19 with a visitation beginning at 9:30. A burial service will follow at 3 p.m. at Oak Hill Cemetery in Prattville. Pallbearers will be her nephews, Hunter Oldacre, Ford Boozer, Douglas Sellers, Oliver Oldacre, William Sellers, and Alex Boozer.

Memorial contributions may be made to the University of Alabama (reference Leah Oldacre Taylor Tri Delta Scholarship Fund), P.O. Box 870122, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487 or the First United Methodist Church of Birmingham