Thomas James Taylor died in Houston in his sleep on Sunday, the 9th of January 2022. He was 91 years of age.
He and Joan, his wife of almost 68 years, moved to the Village of River Oaks in Houston in 2018 from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to be closer to family.
Tom was a great husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather – and an exemplary student, a passionate golfer, a successful businessman and a wonderful dancer. He was born in Carthage, Missouri, on the 5th of January 1931, to Dorothy H. Taylor and Thomas E. Taylor. At the age of 14, he went to boarding school at Sewanee Military Academy, graduating in 1949 as Senior Commander. Tom then attended Rice University where he met the love of his life, Joan Wilson Taylor. They married in 1953.
After graduating from Rice, Tom served two years in the Navy. Following his service, he embarked on a long career with ALCOA, the Aluminum Company of America. Having studied architecture at Rice, Tom started at ALCOA in architectural sales, where he became involved in the construction of Century City in Los Angeles. Over decades, Tom’s roles at ALCOA varied from megaproject construction, to shower doors and home goods, to executive roles in Georgia, Indiana, and Germany before finishing his career in Pittsburgh in the 1990’s as ALCOA’s Vice President of Flat-Rolled Products (airplanes, cans and the like.) Until 2018, he and Joan continued to live in Pittsburgh except for winters at their home in Wimberley, Texas. He took great joy in introducing many Pittsburghers to the Hill Country.
Tom was a life-long Episcopalian consistently serving on the vestry at the many places he lived while climbing the ALCOA corporate ladder. He was the Senior Warden at Calvary Church in Pittsburgh, as well as St. Anne’s in Tifton, Georgia. Additionally, Tom was an Eagle Scout, President of the Junior Class at Rice, Boy Scout Troop Leader, Little League baseball coach, fundraiser for the United Way, and a founding board member of the Neighborhood Academy in Pittsburgh. Over many years and countless transfers, Tom was a member of numerous clubs: the Jonathan Club in Los Angeles; the Tifton Country Club in Tifton, Georgia; St. Clair Country Club in Pittsburgh; Forest Hills Country Club in Richmond, Indiana. Upon returning to Pittsburgh in 1981 after five years in Germany, Tom became an active participant in the Duquesne Club, the Longue Vue Club, the Pittsburgh Golf Club, and the Laurel Valley Golf Club in Ligonier, PA.
He was predeceased by his parents of Carthage; his in-laws of Houston, James A. and Cathryn C. Wilson; and his dear son-in-law, Paul D. Chapman, also of Houston.
His wife, Joan W. Taylor, a native of Houston, survives as do his children, son T. James “Jim” Taylor, Jr. and his wife Cary Marriott of San Antonio; daughters Cathryn T. “Cathy” Chapman of Houston, and Dorothy E. “Lisa” Taylor and her husband Scott Sura of Dallas. He was the proud grandfather of Taylor Chapman of New York City, New York, Dillon Chapman of Houston, Lucie Taylor and Wilson Taylor both also of New York City. He also was survived by four great-grandchildren.
A memorial service is to be conducted at eleven o’clock in the morning on Tuesday, the 18th of January, at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church, 6221 Main Street in Houston, where The Reverend Liz Parker, Associate Rector, is to officiate. Service can be joined via live-streaming by the following links; palmerchurch.org/live or https://youtu.be/hvagNb5Xngc.
Tom was a founding board member of The Neighborhood Academy in Pittsburgh. He was so proud of what it had accomplished and would appreciate memorial contributions in his memory to be directed to the Neighborhood Academy, 707 Aiken Ave. Pittsburgh, PA. 15206.
Please visit Mr. Taylor’s online memorial tribute at GeoHLewis.com where memories and words of comfort and condolence may be shared electronically with his family.
