Carolyn Norman Taylor

She was born October 29, 1935 ,to Colonel George Sloan Norman, Jr. and Ruth Pursel Yates, in Blackwell, Oklahoma. Being part of an Army family, she moved 20 times and went to 16 schools throughout the United States and Europe. She attended St. Lukes Hospital School of Nursing in New York City and Graduated in 1956.

After moving to Dallas in 1969, she met and married A. Starke Taylor, Jr. and lived in Dallas for over 53 years. They traveled extensively all over the world for Starke’s cotton business till 1980 when he sold his company and decided to run for Mayor of Dallas and won. Before and during that time she supported many charities and started Impact “88”, a task force to make people more aware of the tremendous cost of teenage pregnancy to the community and tried to create more clinics in poor neighborhoods and schools.

In the past, she was involved with the Opera Guild Museum, ballet, Mes Amis, Alzheimer’s Assoc., Multiple Sclerosis, March of Dimes, Kidney Foundations Chairman, Autism Society President of Les Femme du Monde, Ladies Chairman for the Byron Nelson and gave speeches in Washington and Dallas on teenage pregnancy solutions. She was listed in The Women of 1985. The Taylors were members of Dallas CC, Petroleum Club, Bent Tree CC, Little Sandy Club, Beaver Creek in Colorado, Eldorado CC in Palm Springs, California, and Big Horn CC.

She is survived by her daughter, Susan Salley; son, Chris Taylor and his wife, Davina; grandsons, Austin, Joshua (Megan) and Jacob (Auburn) Salley; granddaughter, Allyssa Simons (Ryan); along with 8 great-grandchildren; and her brother, George Sloan Norman, III.

Carolyn was preceded in death by (the love of her life) A. Starke Taylor, Jr.; her parents; her son, Wesley Franklin Markle, III; her stepdaughter, Janet Patterson; her sister, Helen Norman Leach; her grandson, Wesley Salley; and her daughter, Tracy Wray Taylor.

Honorary Pallbearer: George Sloan Norman, III

Pallbearers: Austin Salley, Joshua Salley, Jacob Salley, Ryan Simons, Reggie McPherson, and Steve Ibarguen.

A graveside service will be held at 3pm, Wednesday, December 14, at Hillcrest Memorial Park, 7405 W. Northwest Highway, Dallas, TX, 75225.

In lieu of flowers, she requested that donations be made to: Austin’s Army for Special Needs Children at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church, 9200 Inwood Road, Dallas, 75220 or the Wes Salley Fund at Parish Episcopal School, 4101 Sigma Road, Dallas, 75244 or the SPCA of Dallas.