John A. Taylor Jr. CPA
06/02/1948 to 08/29/2015 on earth
08/29/2015 to FOREVER in the mountains!
John Taylor, 67, was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother, friend, son, math genius/CPA, mentor, outdoorsman, cancer warrior, handyman, griller, dog lover, hiker, and much much more. He is survived by his wife Karen, his children: Jeff and Katie, his grandchildren: Cara, Ashanti and Jaycen, niece Candy and great nephew Ryan.
Sarcoma, a rare aggressive cancer, is what took John from us too early. He fought it and he fought hard against this nasty cancer for 3 years. His strength and bravery were never more prominent, not even on the highest mountain that he climbed. He was a true warrior in his battle with cancer.
John was born on June 2nd 1948 to Mary Francis and John Taylor Sr. He graduated from Wyandotte High School in 1966 and continued on to KU (Rock Chalk Jayhawk), where he would meet his wife Karen.
He became a CPA and started his own business crunching numbers and creating a fabulous circle of clients who quickly became lifelong friends. He loved his career and was good at it. John and Karen tied the knot on June 13th 1970. They traveled all over the world, seeing and enjoying what the world had to offer them. They went on to adopt 2 children, Jeff in 1979 and Katie in 1982.
John did what he loved and loved what he did. He lived life to the fullest and accomplished so many things throughout his life amd always found something new to accomplish. He enjoyed all types of activities. Hiking was his all time favorite! He wanted to hike in as many places as he could and see all the natural beauty the land had to offer, and he did. He was one with nature.
He lived his life how he wanted to. He enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and taking them places. Letting them see the world through his eyes. Teaching them what he knew about life.
He will be greatly missed by all the people who love him and were close to him. He touched many lives throughout his years and his legacy will live on.
John, lace up those boots and enjoy those mountains in the sky!
In lieu of flowers, the family requests for donations to be made to sarcomaalliance.org to help further sarcoma cancer research.
Memorial Service will be held September 19th, 2015 at 10:00am at the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Garden in the Amphitheater. 8909 W. 179 St. Overland Park, KS 66013
6.2.48-8.29.15 on earth
8.29.15-forever in the mountains
Yo Dad!!! (You said yo A LOT) as your original journey with us ends and your new journey begins in the mountains in the sky, just know that we love you oh so very much. You were so strong through the last 3 years fighting this nasty nasty aggressive cancer. You continued to fight it til your last breath. So, how does it feel to be cancer free dad? How does it feel to walk again after being paralyzed for the last 6 weeks? How does it feel to have full use of your right side? How does it feel to be able to breath and see again without that huge tumor under your eye restricting your sight and nasal passage? I hope you enjoy your newly found freedom. Oh, and you better not be doing taxes…. just climb those mountains in the big blue sky. ?. Enjoy the new forever painless journey you have started. Watch over us from time to time and check in every now and then. We love you dad and thank you for everything, thank you for being our dad! Hike In Paradise!
John was a great mentor to me and I am thankful for all the confidence he showed in me as a CPA. I will miss him dearly not only at work but at the holiday/special gatherings between the Taylors & Lappins. I am glad that he is pain free and at peace.
What a wonderful person John was. Karen & family, condolences to all of you. Words cannot express how much he will be missed by everyone whose life he touched. He is in a better place & as Katie shared, most importantly pain free. It is always more difficult for those left behind, may his memories bring you peace & comfort during this difficult time. Share stories about him & keep his memory alive, that is what has helped us. We have definitely gained another angel!
I worked with John for over 30 years. He was always willing to help
whenever I had a tough tough tax question. Through the years I
learned a lot from John. I will be forever grateful.
I had the pleasure of knowing John for over 20 years. He was not only a mentor to me, but, as close to a big brother as one could have.
John was the most intelligent person I’ve ever met. He was also a very kind and thoughtful gentleman. I truly treasure all the times we shared.
Your spirit will forever be with us.
JAT…Miss You…Life will not be the same…DRH
Uncle John, Ryan and I will miss you so much. i am so grateful for the things you taught me and that you encouraged me to Live Life to the fullest. I will miss hearing you ask me “so Candy, what’s the story?” And me having to use my imagination to give you the story. I am thankful for the adventures we were able to take including our last one in June, giving my Mom her final wish. My promise to you is that I will always tell Ryan to LIVE, and I will do everything i can to watch over the family. Have a “Cheeseburger in Paradise” for me. Love you so.
John was and will always be a true friend,fraternity brother,and compatriot. As Karen will attest,there are many entertaining and crazy stories from our KU and Acacia days. Even though we rarely visited in the latter years,we could pick up the conversation like we talked every day and never missed a beat.
Trust that John is in a better place and pain free. Rest well my friend, you will be truly missed.
It has been a pleasure getting to know John the last five or six years as our accountant. I will miss our conversations when I would drop by early on Saturday mornings to get business and tax advice, or to simply talk about outdoor activities. Truly a brilliant man. He will be missed.
Karen, John was such a terrific guy and I will always remember his kindness and efficiency serving on our board. I know how much he loved nature and enjoyed it obviously to the very end. Unfortunately, I will be in Australia on the 19th or I would definitely attend his memorial service. Please know that I’m thinking of you and your family.
Karen and family, John was a great friend and adviser to our family and will be missed greatly by all of us. Tony thought the world of him and I hope they are once again enjoying each others company in heaven.
John had been my accountant for the last 12 years, and he (and his father before him) had been my dad’s accountant for decades. Dad and I both appreciated his knowledge, service and kindness to us. I always looked forward to seeing him every February. We will miss him.
John was a great friend and more. He and his family were there for me throughout my teen years into adulthood allowing me a place to live when I had nowhere else to go. They always made sure I was alright and included me in activities treating as if I were one if thier own. I will be forever grateful and will miss John very much. I send condolences and prayers for the family in these sad times and I am here any time you need me. Love you all.
R.I.P John Taylor, a great father, friend, and mentor.
I am sorry for your loss and pray comfort to the family during this difficult time. John was a brilliant man and an asset to us as we grew our business, he will be sorely missed. While most of our discussions were business related I came to appreciate his sense of humor and will never forget the story of going to the hospital with his toenails painted.
Larry and I think the world of JT. It’s crazy to think he was a part of our lives for over 20 years. He was our constant and our mentor. That man knew everything! He had an answer for anything you could ask. And he was always there for us just about at a moment’s notice. We both love and appreciated him so much. He is truly missed. We will always carry him close to our hearts.