Robert W. Taylor February 5, 1935-July 3, 2018 Robert W. Taylor, 83, of Lafayette, Ind., passed away July 3, 2018, at home. He was born Feb. 5, 1935, and grew up in Lawtons, N.Y., on Dancote Farm raising Angus beef. Bob graduated from Cornell University in 1956. On June 2, 1956, he married Anna B. Cady in Troupsburg, N.Y. They relocated to West Lafayette, where he completed his M.S. and Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Purdue University. Bob joined Purdue faculty as a farm management professor in the Agricultural Economics Department. He also worked in extension, emphasizing family farm business arrangements. His passion and concern for students was legendary, and he continued teaching and mentoring for 50 years at Purdue. Bob was not just recognized and admired by his students for his caring approach to challenging their thinking and stimulating them to learn, but also for his sincere interest in them as individuals with personal as well as professional aspirations. Bob was a member of Evangelical Covenant Church of Lafayette, where he taught Junior High Sunday School for many years. He left his mark on thousands of families across Indiana. Former students remember him for daily quizzes, expressive teaching style and especially for his wonderful ability to listen. Grandchildren remember him for his enthusiastic stories and sneezes, his wholehearted encouragement in life and learning and his raised eyebrows and the suspenders he wore. Outside of teaching, Bob enjoyed spending time in his woodworking shop making grandfather clocks and gifts for his family. He loved spending summers at the family cottage in Western, N.Y., where he spent hours of fun driving the boat, pulling skiers and attempting to knock kids off the tube! Surviving, with his wife, are children Bill of Brighton, Colo., Cindy (Bill) Fate of Lafayette, Susan (Michael) Barker of Laramie, Wyo., and Dan (Audette) of Rossville, Ind. He was blessed with grandchildren Clayton (Sam) Taylor and Stephen (Christy) Taylor of Columbus, Ohio; Kevin (Rayna) Barker, Denise Barker, Karen (Joe) Marr and Daniel (Liberty) Barker of Wyoming; Jacob, David, Sarah, Katie and Karie Taylor of Rossville; and six great-grandchildren. Also surviving are brothers David (Leena) Taylor of Broomfield, Colo., and Donald (Sally) Taylor of Ames, Iowa, and sister-in-law Sylvi Taylor of Gettysburg, Pa. Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Clayton and Annie (Clark) Taylor, and his brother Philip J. Taylor of Lawtons, N.Y. A memorial service was held on July 7 at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Lafayette. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Taylor Excellence Fund, within Purdue Ag Economics, in care of: Purdue Foundation, 403 West Wood St., West Lafayette, IN 47907-2007. Gifts can also be made toward this fund online at www.Giving.Purdue.edu/InMemoryofDrBobTaylor |
