George M. Taylor

George Malcolm Taylor, 83, died January 27, 2024, at the Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo, MS.  He was born June 20, 1940, in Philadelphia, MS, the third of three children to the late Raleigh Vernon Taylor and Claribel George Taylor.  He attended elementary school in Philadelphia before moving to Houston, MS during Junior High School.  He graduated from Houston High School in 1958.  He received his B.S. degree in accounting in 1962 from Mississippi State University where he was a distinguished military graduate in Air Force ROTC, a member of Blue Key Honor Society and Pi Kappa Alpha Social Fraternity.  He served for three years in the U.S. Air Force at Headquarters, Strategic Air Command during the Cuban Missile Crises and Vietnam War.

After discharge from the Air Force in 1965, he lived in Amory, MS for a few months and worked in Production Control for Walker Manufacturing Company in Aberdeen, MS.  He moved to Tupelo in late 1965 when he joined Central Service Association of Tupelo as a systems analyst/programmer.  He continued with CSA as assistant to the General Manager until 1971 when he joined a state-wide savings and loan association.  He spent eight years in the savings and loan industry, last serving as president of First Financial Savings and Loan Association of Tupelo. He joined Reed Manufacturing Co., Inc. of Tupelo in 1979 as controller where he was employed for 30 years before retiring as Chief Financial Officer/Secretary.

He was active in the Mississippi Manufacturers Association (MMA) for many years, serving in all capacities of the Executive Committee and as Chairman of MMA in 2008.  He was a founding director of the MMA Workers’ Compensation Group and served as chairman of the Group for eleven years. He was also on the boards of the MMA Political Action Committee and the MMA Group Insurance Trust.

In his community, he became active with United Way in 1973 and continued to serve this worthwhile organization in numerous capacities for many years.  He served as President of United Way of Northeast Mississippi in 1983 and 2007.  He served on the Major Thoroughfare Committee of Tupelo before being elected to the Tupelo City Council where he served two terms from 1997 to 2005.  He was a founding director of the Neighborhood Development Corporation during his first term on the Council and continued to serve this organization as Treasurer after leaving public office.  He served on the board of directors of the Good Samaritan Free Clinic and on the board of commissioners of the Tupelo Housing Authority.  He was a 50 year member of the Tupelo Kiwanis Club where he served as president of the organization in 1995 and longtime song leader. He was also regularly found ringing the bell for The Salvation Army during the holidays.

He was a member of Calvary Baptist Church where he served as a Deacon Emeritus, Sunday School teacher, choir member and greeter.  He enjoyed all music, especially gospel, and he loved singing bass in the Jim Long Livingston Quartet. He loved traveling with his wife Betty, especially on family trips to the beach. He was an avid Mississippi State fan who loved attending sporting events and rooting for his “Dawgs”. He took great joy in watching his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow, and he valued their successes in academics, sports, careers, and life in general. His most recent joy was spending time with his new great-grandchildren, “stealing sugar” from them whenever possible. While he valued and cherished his relationships with his family and countless wonderful friends, he most importantly valued and cherished his relationship with his Lord and Savior.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Betty B.Taylor, a daughter, Suzanne Taylor Ward of Columbus and a son, Blair Taylor of Tupelo, six grandchildren, Mary Ashton Graves and Bartlett Graves of (Hernando), Martha Kirksey Taylor of Dallas, Texas,  Steven Reed Taylor and Caroline Taylor of Tupelo, George Graham Taylor, of Gainesville, Georgia, Allen Michael Ward and Becca Ward of Caledonia, and Mary Blair Ward of Brandon.  He is also survived by three great-grandchildren, Allen Riley Ward, Carter Robert Taylor, and Mary Louise Graves. He is also survived by his sister and brothers-in-law, Bert Hill of Woodland and Anne and Tom Davis of St. Joseph, Michigan.

 He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister June Taylor Hill, his brother-in-law James Houston Blair and sister-in-law Billie Grace Johnson Blair.   

 A memorial service celebrating George’s life will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, January 30, 2024 at Calvary Baptist Church with Dr. John Boler and Rev. Jim Yates officiating.  Visitation will be 9 a.m. until service time at the church.  Pegues Funeral Directors has been entrusted with the arrangements.  

Honorary pall bearers will be Allen Ward, Reed Taylor, Graham Taylor, Bartlett Graves, Larry Stewart, Robin Haire, Eddie Wright, Greg Pirkle, and Ken Krason.

Expressions of sympathy and fond memories may be shared at PeguesFuneralhome.com