Charlotte Rae Taylor (1968-2024)
Charlotte Taylor, 56, of Starkville, Mississippi, died at her home on December 27, 2024, following a courageous battle with metastatic breast cancer.
The child of a career Air Force NCO, Charlotte was born in Berlin, Germany, and spent her childhood living in Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma, and New Hampshire, before finally settling at her father’s last duty station in Biloxi, Mississippi. There, she met her husband Cliff when both were in the 7th grade, and they began their courtship as high school freshmen. Upon graduation, both attended the University of Southern Mississippi where Charlotte was a history major, a member of the Honors College, a performer in the Pride of Mississippi marching band, and a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha Sorority. The couple married following their senior year of college and subsequently moved to southwestern Louisiana, where Charlotte taught history in the public schools of Vernon and Calcasieu Parishes.
After their son Clifton was born, the family moved to Wiggins, Mississippi, where Cliff worked as an assistant band director at Gulf Coast Community College, and Charlotte became a full-time mom and teacher, homeschooling Clifton and his sister Evelyn. In 2005, a faculty appointment at Mississippi State University brought the family to Starkville, where they attended the First United Methodist Church, and Charlotte continued homeschooling the children through their high school graduations. She enjoyed quilting, scrapbooking, and attending MSU sporting events as a devoted fan and supporter of the Famous Maroon Band’s directors, staff, and students.
From 2014, Charlotte attended Grace Presbyterian Church of Starkville, where she served as the Women’s Ministry Director and was a member of the choir. She had a great love of the Bible and dedicated many hours to personal study and teaching others the scriptures. She took great inspiration and comfort from the Word, living a life typified by gratitude and love manifested in service to others.
Anyone who knew Charlotte knew that volunteering with Operation Christmas Child was an important part of her life. She was passionate about this ministry of Samaritan’s Purse and shopped year-round for clothing, toys, and school supplies to fill boxes each November. She volunteered at the Starkville area collection week and at the Atlanta regional distribution center. She enjoyed traveling to global OCC conferences to meet other volunteers from around the world and had the special privilege of participating in box distributions in Trinidad and Tobago. Until recently, when the advancement of her illness forced her to resign, she was an area coordinator for OCC, traveling a six-county area to recruit, train, encourage, and support a team of participating churches and volunteers.
Charlotte loved her extended family and treasured the time she spent with her parents, siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews. She is survived by her husband of thirty-four years, Clifton Donnel Taylor, Jr.; son, Clifton Martin Taylor II; and daughter, Evelyn Deane Taylor; parents, Dewey and Robbie Wise of Smith County, MS; brother, Michael Wise (Susan) of Flowood; sister, Deborah Oakley (Nathan) of Smith County; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 1st at Grace Presbyterian Church. A funeral service will be held at the church on Thursday, January 2nd at 10:30 a.m., with interment following at Memorial Garden Park Cemetery in Starkville.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to Operation Christmas Child: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/ways-to-give
