Mr. Harold Raymond Taylor III, age 71, passed away on Wednesday, 21 February 2018, at Maury Regional Hospital, with his devoted wife Hellen by his side.
Harold was born in Woodbury, NJ to the late Harold R. Taylor, Jr. and Irma Meade Taylor, but became a Texan at age 16, from which he never recovered. He earned both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Chemical Engineering from Rice University in Houston, TX, where he met his future wife.
Harold began his engineering career at Texaco, Inc., continued for many years at CIBA-GEIGY, and finally at the Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory. During his years as an engineer, he was privileged to work in many different areas of the discipline, and in many different locations in the United States and Europe. He was awarded a patent for wax filtration techniques and was the principal Process Designer for several chemical manufacturing facilities. He retired to Columbia, TN in 2004.
He was both an outdoorsman and avid bridge player, becoming a Life Master in the American Contract Bridge League in February 2013, with the help of his friends at the Orion Bridge Club.
He is survived by Hellen, his wife of 47 years; sister Joanell (Bill) Parchen of San Antonio, TX; nieces Jennifer (Ian) Powell of Idaho and Jena (Nick) Halpin of Hawaii; great-niece Cambrien (Jeff) Graves of Kansas; great-nephews Samuel Halpin and Joshua Halpin of Hawaii; aunts Donna Richman of New Jersey and Jo Ann Hutchinson of North Carolina; sister-in-law Alyce Rowland of Texas; and many cousins. He is also survived by the Homans and Bricks of New Jersey, and the Baynes of Louisiana, friends whom he considered as chosen family, and by his neighbors, the Grooms families, whose many kindnesses sustained him and his wife.
His wife would like to express special appreciation to Harold’s cousin Tod Richman of New Jersey, whose caring and support was profoundly comforting.
The Family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to the faculty and staff at Maury Regional Hospital for the excellent and compassionate care they provided, and especially to the staff of the CCU, who cared for Harold during his last few days.
A memorial service will be conducted at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home in Columbia TN in the near future.
