Catherine Ann Taylor
- Published: July 30, 2020
Catherine Ann Taylor
Catherine Ann Taylor passed peacefully at home in her sleep on Saturday, July 18, 2020, after a beautiful sunrise on a clear, warm summer morning. Her family was at her side, and she was comfortable and at peace. She lived every one of her 80 years to the fullest, including the six years she fought colon cancer.
She was born in Piqua, Ohio, in 1940 and was raised in Detroit, Mich. She attended Kingswood School at Cranbrook and then Kalamazoo College, where she graduated cum laude with a Zoology degree and was inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta freshman women’s honor society and Phi Beta Kappa. She received the S. R. Light Fellowship for study overseas, where she was in the pilot program for Kalamazoo College’s foreign study program, which is a central part of its curriculum now. She went on to receive a master’s and doctorate in cell biology from the University of Illinois, and was a pioneer in the then-nascent field of molecular biochemistry.
She studied pancreatic cancer and diabetes at Fels Research Institute under Dr. Peter Varandani, then she became the electron microscopist for Wright State Medical School where she stayed until her retirement in 2003. She was the treasurer (’86–’88, ’90–’92) and co-president (1996–2001) of the Microscopy Society of the Ohio River Valley (MSORV) and is listed in Who’s Who in Science and Engineering.
Ann loved learning and exploration, but horses were her other true passion. She kept numerous horses over the years at virtually every stable in and around Yellow Springs, and was happiest when she was ankle-deep in mud, working to communicate with an animal ten times her size. Her empathy and analytical patience were great assets in training reluctant horses. She had a love of all animals, and spent many happy hours quietly watching and listening to nature.
She loved music and the arts, and could be found at many YS chamber music concerts and Schuster Center productions. She enjoyed plays and musicals and operas, and attending them with her friends was another lifelong passion of hers.
Ann never cursed or had a harsh word for anyone, even in private to friends and family. Rumors died in her arms. She saw the best in every situation, and then refused to compromise for anything less. She danced to the beat of her own drum, but everything she did, from her scientific explorations to her horses to her efforts with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, was built on a foundation of love and service to the greater good of her community and humanity.
She had a quiet, unstoppable courage and smiled sweetly, but never took no for an answer. Somehow, she managed to get her way and make everyone else feel good about it. Her friends and family will miss her unconditional love, her generosity, and her wry, unpredictable wit and her loyal companionship.
Ann was preceded in death by her sister Gwen Anderson (Tampa, Fla.). She is survived by her son Brendan Taylor and daughter-in-law Bethany Taylor. A memorial will be held at a later date, when we can congregate together again.
Donations can be made on her behalf to the Glen Helen Association.
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I have many fond memories of trail riding with Ann. She was the real deal – kind, considerate, and straightforward in thought and opinion. She was good to her horses always. So sorry to hear of her passing.
The Wright State University Retirees Association extends our condolences to the family of Catherine Ann Taylor. We also wish to acknowledge her years of service to our University.
I knew Ann many years ago when a group of us bought Flat Island in Nova Scotia. I remember when she joined the group and when Brendan came. We shared camping space in a barn on Tancook Island as we would wait for the ocean to let us go to Flat Island. We had many a meal and evening together in Yellow Springs. As our various families changed and our lives likewise we lost touch, but my memories of that time are rich and full and her death brings back memories of my girls, Robin and Jenny as well as Rob Kohn(Antioch 57) who died over 20 years ago. Jim Jordan, and I lived together till his death in 2014 and the rememberences of those days of the 60s and 70s were brought back by the lovely obituary. Love to all of you from those days who are still with us. At 82 I am still touched by those days with
Ann and her then husband Chuck Taylor. My best goes out to family and friends who share the memories of those days. Love, Barbara