Janice L Taylor

Janice Lee Taylor of Louisville KY passed away on January 1, 2024 after a courageous battle with leukemia. She left this world surrounded in the love of her family. Jan was truly a loving and giving spirit that touched the lives of every person that she came into contact with.

She was born Janice Lee Moriarty on November 12, 1942 in Renovo, PA to James and Margaret Lee Moriarty. After graduating from Renovo High School in 1960, she headed east to Philadelphia where she attended the Pennsylvania School of Nursing and graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1964.

Upon completion of her nursing program, she immediately set her sights on warmer climes and moved to Miami, Florida—a move boldly made without a job or a place to stay. Shortly after arriving, and in perfect form, she found a job as a RN for the Veterans Administration Hospital. It was here that she ended up meeting the love of her life, Cecil Wayne Taylor.

Jan and Wayne were married on November 11, 1967 in Coral Gables—a date (because of the proximity to her birthday the following day) that created a subsequent holiday in our family that forever became known as her “birthaversary.” After the arrival of their daughter Susan in 1969, they made a final stop in Huntington, WV where their son Michael was born before finally finding their forever home in Louisville in 1972.

Jan loved to travel, and she and Wayne spent their more than five decades together tearing up the highways and back roads of America to see as many national parks, mountain views and greasy diners as they could. Amazingly, in 2022 she was finally able to cross the 50th state off her list when she visited Hawaii with all of her children, their spouses and grandchildren in tow.

Throughout many years from 1964 to the early 2000s, she thrived as an RN because of her caring nature and attention to detail. After retiring for good, she shifted that attention to the selfless care of others. For many years, she tirelessly worked for the care of both family and friends. It was not unusual to hear of her driving those friends to appointments or taking them food. But, mostly, what she offered people—many of whom had few others around to do so—was unconditional love and friendship.

Jan was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was kind and patient. She was comforting and empathetic. And, if you came into her house, you were going to be fed.

She is preceded in death by her father, James Francis, her mother, Margaret Lee, and her brother James.

She is survived by her adoring husband Wayne; her daughter and son-in-law, Susan and Scott Dant of Owensboro, KY; her son and daughter-in-law Michael and Emily Taylor of Nashville, TN; her brother and his wife, Richard and Margaret Moriarty of Lancaster, PA; sister-in-law Nancy Moriarty of Virginia Beach VA; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

What truly survives, however, is the endless love and compassion that she offered so many people.

A celebration of life will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 13 at St. Margaret Mary Church (7813 Shelbyville Rd, Louisville, KY 40222) with a reception and visitation to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (https://www.lls.org) or to the Alzheimers Association (https://act.alz.org).