Our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend Gwendolyn Marie Taylor passed away at her home in Avon, NC with her family by her side on March 29, 2023 at the age of 78. She will be lovingly missed by her husband of 56 years, Donald “Donny” Taylor; son Donald Taylor, Jr. (Kim); daughter, Heather Henderson (Steve); grandchildren, Walden Taylor, Hunter Jarvis, and Chase Jarvis; sister, Susan Lombardi (Gerard); brothers, George Jones, Thom Jones, and Jimmy Jones (Pam); special cousins, Sheryl Frederick and Janis Fancher; numerous nieces, nephews and special cat, Keeter.
She will also be dearly missed by her Beach group, her Mahjong tribe, her church family, and the many wonderful friends she made over her lifetime. Gwen is preceded in death by her sister, Sandi Jones Garrison; her sisters-in-law, Zena Jones and Kathi Jones; her cousin, Peggy Gloger; and her parents, George and Dorothy Jones.
Gwen married her high school sweetheart Donny in 1966 after graduating from Radford College (now Radford University). She taught high school English for 27 years and earned her Master of Education in 1987 from James Madison University. Gwen held a strong faith in God and belonged to Orange Baptist Church in Virginia for nearly 70 years. When she and Donny retired to Avon in 2014, they joined St. John United Methodist Church where Gwen was active in the Methodist Women of Faith and made many beloved friends. She was passionate about her family, equal rights, Christmas, and especially travel. Gwen and Donny spent their golden years traversing the United States, vacationing in Hawaii and camping in 49 states and four Canadian provinces, often with their feline companion, Keeter. Gwen did not let a cancer diagnosis three years ago slow her down, and she remained hopeful and determined and continued planning trips for this year.
Services will be held St. John United Methodist Church in Avon at 4:00 pm on Saturday, April 1, with interment in Orange, VA at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to St. John United Methodist Church in Avon or to the Hatteras Island Cancer Foundation, a special organization assisting islanders who have cancer. Please share a message of hope and love at www.gallopfuneralservices.com. Gallop Funeral Services, Inc. was entrusted with arrangements.
