Lewis B. Taylor Jr.

Lewis Butler Taylor, Jr., 89, of Stillwater passed peacefully from this life on October 12, 2014 at his home in Stillwater. Services have been entrusted to the care of Palmer Marler Funeral Home and a service celebrating his life will be held 1:00pm on Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at Ft. Gibson National Cemetery in Ft. Gibson, OK. Visitation will be held on Monday, October 20 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the funeral home.
Lewis was born on February 4, 1925 to Lewis Butler Taylor and Ollye Arrington in Centrahoma, OK. He graduated from Clayton High School. After high school, Lewis attended Murray State College. He attended the US Naval Academy from 1943 to 1946 and Rensselaer Polytech Institute from 1950 to 1953 where he obtained his Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering. He married Madeline McGowen Fielder on February 5, 1951. Madeline had a daughter from a previous marriage, Pamela, but Lewis loved her like his own and in 1952 Lewis and Madeline were blessed with the birth of their daughter Marilyn.
Lewis spent 10 years working in the Navy Civil Engineering Corp and worked for various engineering firms until the beginning of the Vietnam War when he joined the U.S. Agency for International Development, serving in Vietnam for six years. During this time, Lewis had a relationship with Ly Moore and gained a daughter Katherine Moore. Lewis had subsequent tours in Thailand and Cambodia before retiring. Following his retirement, he worked on U.S. and World Bank development projects where he assisted in the economic development and disaster reconstruction of Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, and El Salvador, mainly specializing in the design and construction of water works and drainage systems. In the mid 1980s Lewis married Joleta Faye Nedbalik .
Lewis Taylor enjoyed writing poetry and served two years as the president of the Poetry Society of Oklahoma. He enjoyed reading and had even written three small books of poetry. He was a longtime member of the Presbyterian Church, the local VFW, as well as the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association. Lewis was excellent at fly tying and he was never happier than when he was spending time fishing with his grandsons.
Lewis was preceded in death by his three siblings: Rodney Taylor, Myra Barns, and Choice Taylor. He is survived by his daughters: Marilyn Thoele of Stillwater and Pamela Henderson of Oklahoma City. Three grandchildren: Travis Thoele, Jason Henderson, and Taylor Henderson. He is also survived by a sister Marie Taylor Wallace, his best friend and care taker for the last few years Naomi Leach, and many wonderful friends he made at the Stillwater Christian Villa.
In lieu of flowers the family has requested that donations be made in Lewis honor to the Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758517 Topeka, KS 66675 or VFW, 5505 West 6th Ave, Stillwater, OK 74074.