Funeral services for Glenn E. Taylor, 89, of Decatur, AL will be Saturday, January 11, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. at Central United Methodist Church in Decatur. The Reverend Gary Formby will be officiating. A graveside service will be at 11:00 a.m. at the Salem City Cemetery on January 18, 2014 in Winston-Salem, NC.
Glenn E. Taylor of Decatur, AL passed away on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 at his home. The son of Vestal Columbus Taylor and Lucy Jane Chilton Taylor, he was born in Rockingham County, NC on January 29, 1924. His family moved to Durham County, NC where he graduated from high school in 1941; after which he attended North Carolina State College until entering the military service in early 1943. He served in the Army Air Corp and flew with the Eighth Air Force over occupied Europe during the summer of 1944. Glenn completed 32 missions, one of which included the Normandy Invasion, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, four Air Medals and four battles stars on the EMEA medal for four major engagements while in the theatre of operation.
After his overseas service, Glenn was reassigned to state-side instructor duty and was honorably discharged in late 1945. He resumed his educational pursuits at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and earned a degree in Journalism.
In 1950, Glenn married Sarah Jane White of Winston-Salem, NC and they were married for 61 years until her death in 2012.
Glenn began his career with an assignment as the Assistant Manager of the Fayetteville, NC Chamber of Commerce and progressed to Manager of the Albermarle, NC Chamber of Commerce in 1952. He became Executive Vice president of the Dothan, AL Chamber of Commerce in 1957 and served there until being appointed Director of the Birmingham Committee of 100 in Birmingham, AL in 1963.
In 1964, Glenn was hired as Resident Vice President of the Southern Railway System and served in that capacity for the next 14 years. He was then reassigned to the position of Resident Vice President for Tennessee with Norfolk Southern Corporation, the successor to Southern Railway. He retired in 1987, after 23 years with the railroad, and remained in Tennessee until 1993, at which time, he and Sarah Jane moved back to Birmingham. In 2012, Glenn and Sarah Jane moved to Decatur, AL.
Glenn served on numerous boards of directors and was elected to lead several of them as president or chairman in North Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee. He was involved in the leadership of his church as well as service, charitable and business organizations throughout his adult life.
He is survived by his three children: Kathryn Taylor Tharpe (Craig) of Opelika, AL, Glenn Mitchell Taylor (Marianne) of Marietta, GA, and Melinda Taylor Woller (Ronald) of Decatur, AL; six grandchildren: Virginia Tharpe Cochran (Chris), William Taylor Tharpe, Joseph Palmer Woller (Lauren), Leta Catherine Woller, Mallory Lee Taylor and Mary Cameron Taylor.
Memorials may be made to the Sarah Jane White Taylor ’48 Scholarship, University of North Carolina – Greensboro, P.O. Box 26170, Greensboro, NC 27402 or Central United Methodist Church, 616 Jackson St. SE, Decatur, AL 35601.
