October 22, 1926 â December 29, 2020
Thomas William âTomâ Taylor was born Oct. 22, 1926, in Myrtle Creek, Oregon, to Isham William Taylor and Miriam Blanche Pearce Taylor, and passed away Dec. 29, 2020, at Sun Ridge Care Facility in Pendleton, Oregon.
Tom, his two sisters and brother were raised in North Powder, Oregon, and spent their summers living in lookout towers in and around Anthony Butte. Hunting, fishing, and life outdoors was instilled in him at an early age. It was his life-long passion.
After graduating from North Powder High School in 1944, he joined the U.S. Navy. He served as a gunner aboard the SS Taos Victory during World War II. His ship traveled to Hawaii, Australia, Guam and Calcutta, India, where they loaded and unloaded bombs. Tom was in Cape Town, South Africa, when Germany surrendered to the Allies.