Thomas Jay Taylor

Thomas Jay Taylor, 73, of Bethany, OK, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, October 22nd, 2023. Tom leaves behind his wife of 46 years, Donna, four children, ten grandchildren, five great grandchildren, friends and family members who loved him dearly and his "fur baby" Georgie.

A service honoring and celebrating Tom's life will be held at 2pm on Thursday, November 2nd at Yanda & Sons Funeral Home Chapel in Yukon, OK.

Tom was born on January 22nd, 1950 in Tacoma, Washington and raised by his parents Jessie and Iva Taylor. A military brat, he lived with his family in many places before settling in Tennessee. After graduating from Smyrna High School, he served in the United States Air Force and went on to complete a business administration program at Central College. In 2006, he earned his Associate Degree from Victory Life Institute.

A hard worker, Tom held a number of jobs throughout his life. In 1992, he medically retired from Tinker Air Force base after years of laboring as an aircraft sheet metal mechanic. He later spent 15 years at Hertz, driving to and from work every day with his wife and best friend, Donna.

Tom was an intelligent man and a deep thinker who loved to read and write. He valued education and took great pride in his time working as a substitute teacher and serving as a job coach for young people with intellectual disabilities. Tom took every opportunity he could find to bury his nose in a book, and as a trained speed reader, tore through thousands of them in his lifetime. He had a lot to say and expressed himself in writing, filling any scrap of paper near him with words and self-publishing two books of poetry.

A colorful man who loved life, Tom made friends wherever he went and cherished Jesus and his family more than anything. He was a collector at heart and found joy in the trove of treasures he assembled, including books, water globes, walking sticks, OSU memorabilia, Hot Wheels, knives and swords, comic books, and pieces for his elaborate Christmas village. He wasn't afraid to stand out from the crowd and his love of performing was expressed in his years as a professional clown and a number of appearances in Christmas and Easter dramas. He was an ordained minister who served his church in a variety of roles and officiated dozens of weddings. In his later years, he made it his mission to keep the neighborhood birds and squirrels well fed. He loved word play, was always ready with a "Dad joke", and never missed an opportunity to brag about his kids and grandkids to anyone who would listen.

Tom was preceded in death by his father, Jessie Taylor.

Tom is survived by his mother Iva Taylor; sister Theresa Davis; brother Charlie Taylor; wife Donna Taylor; son Shawn Taylor and wife Wendy; son Jeff Taylor and wife Lisa; daughter Sara VanDeCreek and husband Matt; son Michael Taylor and wife Allison; grandchildren: Andrea Dugo, Brianne Calderon, Seth Taylor, Gavin Taylor, Elijah VanDeCreek, Joshua VanDeCreek, Benjamin VanDeCreek, Elizabeth VanDeCreek, and Oliver Taylor, and bonus grandchild Cassidy (Passi) Prince; great grandchildren: Ryder Taylor-Dugo, Graham Dugo, Zayin Dugo, Valor Dugo, and Amadeo Dugo, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Tom brought light, humor and love into the lives of those who knew him. He will be dearly missed and will not be forgotten.