Ross Charles Taylor Jr.

Ross Charles Taylor October 15, 1942 – May 18, 2020 Ross Taylor, of Burke, Virginia passed away peacefully on May 18, 2020, after a brief illness at the age of 77. Ross was born October 15, 1942 in Wheeling, West Virginia to Ross Taylor, Sr. and Delores Capobianco. Ross served in the U.S. Army for three years after high school. He then attended West Virginia University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in PrePhysical Therapy/Physical Education and a Master of Arts degree in Special Education, where he developed his passion for the education of children with disabilities, a field then in its infancy. Ross also completed graduate work at the University of Virginia and Virginia Polytechnic Institute studying Administration, Supervision and School Law. Ross and his wife of 36 years, Sharon Walsh, lived both in Alexandria and Burke, Virginia throughout their marriage. He was a loving husband, and proud father and grandfather. He will be greatly missed by his daughter Mary Elizabeth Eads and her husband Timothy Eads, his son Toby Taylor and his wife Lori Taylor, his daughter Kathleen Taylor and her fiancé Christian Wilson. He so loved and enjoyed his six grandchildren and was extremely proud of them - Caitlin Taylor, Carly Eads, Hannah Taylor, Allyson Eads, Dylan Taylor, and Lily Taylor. Ross was preceded in death by his former wife, Rebecca Taylor. His extended New York family loved and will miss him. He will be always remembered for wearing his Mickey Mouse t-shirt to many family events. Ross treasured sharing many special vacations and celebrations in New York over the last 40 years. Ross was a teacher, a local special education director, an educational program specialist in the U.S Department of Education and a policy consultant working with State governments, local agencies and American Indian schools and communities. Ross spent his entire professional career dedicated to advancing services and positive outcomes for children with disabilities and their families. He enthusiastically advanced this work for almost five decades until his death. Other than his family, it was the great joy of his life. He contributed his expertise to numerous national studies and technical assistance projects over the years. Ross was a dedicated and highly respected leader who valued his collaborations with colleagues across the country. He cherished these colleagues as friends and considered himself fortunate to be able to contribute to the cutting edge of disability policy throughout his career. His family will be forever proud of his accomplishments, passion, and contributions to the field of special education and early intervention. Ross’s greatest joy by far was spending time with his wife, his children, and his grandchildren. Together they spent many happy hours sharing meals, traveling to his favorite destination Disney World, celebrating many New Year’s Eves at the Taylor home, and attending the opening of every Harry Potter movie. As Albus Dumbledore said, “After all, to the well-organized mind, death is just the next great adventure.” Ross delighted the neighborhood children each year with his careful planning and celebration of Halloween, one of his favorite holidays. He loved all the dogs and cats that shared his life over the years, always considering them members of the Taylor family. He enjoyed politics, baseball, and football. He was an avid British mystery enthusiast, especially Agatha Christie, never tiring of watching or reading them. He will be remembered for his irreverent and sarcastic wit but mostly as a kind and gentle man. Sharon is forever grateful for 40 wonderful years of partnership and love with her best friend. “Good night my sweet Prince.” Ross was heartbroken for the many families so impacted by the current pandemic and their need for food. Contributions in Ross’s memory can be made to the World Central Kitchen (WCK) at: wck.org/rosstaylor. In lieu of flowers, for those who choose to donate in memory of Ross, please let the family know by adding this address when prompted for the recipient’s email at the WCK website: [email protected]