Robert Arnon Taylor
Son of Arnon, who was son of Nancy Ethel Taylor, daughter of Kate Baker
November 29, 1944 – October 4, 2002
Bob had a lot of tough times throughout his life, but my family was especially touched by how tender and devoted he was to his first wife, Dottie, as she fought a valiant but losing battle with Hodgkin’s disease. My brother Tom remembers a special week when he was about seven and went to stay with them all by himself. Bob taught Tom to play pool and Tom fell in love with both of them.
My brother Tim remembers Bob best from Men’s Weekends in the spring up at the cottage in Canada. Bob was especially involved with the traditional hockey game. As Tim describes it, “In the early days, the game was played in the front yard between the cottage and the lake. We took great pride in NOT taking down the clothes lines so you had to be very careful as you darted in and around the trees with the lines strung between them. The lake was also in play so if the ball went in the water the whole group would go charging in after it, splashing like crazy as we tried to whack the ball back towards the goal. Bob was often goalie and he got pretty adept at stopping the ball with a canoe paddle in one hand and a fish net in the other.”
In fact, Tim says, Bob was so competitive about the hockey game that when Tim’s team won one of their few-ever victories, Bob accused Tim of having stacked his team. Everybody thought that was hilarious, since Bob was captain of the other team and both had taken equal turns picking teammates before the game. Even now, when Tim’s team loses again, as it does most years, someone always yells out, “Bob was right! Tim stacked the team again!” I hope that makes Bob laugh, looking down from his celestial hockey field.
November 29, 1944 – October 4, 2002
Bob had a lot of tough times throughout his life, but my family was especially touched by how tender and devoted he was to his first wife, Dottie, as she fought a valiant but losing battle with Hodgkin’s disease. My brother Tom remembers a special week when he was about seven and went to stay with them all by himself. Bob taught Tom to play pool and Tom fell in love with both of them.
My brother Tim remembers Bob best from Men’s Weekends in the spring up at the cottage in Canada. Bob was especially involved with the traditional hockey game. As Tim describes it, “In the early days, the game was played in the front yard between the cottage and the lake. We took great pride in NOT taking down the clothes lines so you had to be very careful as you darted in and around the trees with the lines strung between them. The lake was also in play so if the ball went in the water the whole group would go charging in after it, splashing like crazy as we tried to whack the ball back towards the goal. Bob was often goalie and he got pretty adept at stopping the ball with a canoe paddle in one hand and a fish net in the other.”
In fact, Tim says, Bob was so competitive about the hockey game that when Tim’s team won one of their few-ever victories, Bob accused Tim of having stacked his team. Everybody thought that was hilarious, since Bob was captain of the other team and both had taken equal turns picking teammates before the game. Even now, when Tim’s team loses again, as it does most years, someone always yells out, “Bob was right! Tim stacked the team again!” I hope that makes Bob laugh, looking down from his celestial hockey field.
Picture One: Bob and Dottie
Picture Two: Bob, June 1968
4 comments:
I didn't know most of the 'Taylor' cousins too well. A real pity. My main memory of Bob is that when he came to the Baker reunion, he usually brought cucumber sandwiches . After he died, Wendell talked me into making them as a tribute to Bob. Every time I made them, Wendell would say they were for Bob.
We Kinsellas did get to know Bob well--the only one of the older Arnon cousins I felt I knew.
We loved Bob and Dottie. I still can see them in front of our rosebushes by the front door as Dad takes a picture of them. And, I remember Bob and Karen in later years at various family weddings.
Grew up with stories of Bob and hockey at Men's Weekend, and since I have never been to one--not allowed of course--in my mind, Bob Taylor (and Uncle Dick Lochner and Uncle Ken Smith) are all still there every year, tripping fellow hockey-ites as they play their cutthroat Men's Weekend games.
i was pregnant with yvonne
when Dottie passed and was not allowed to go to her
funeral.. she died less than a week before yvonne
as born... i loved having her and bobby to visit
with during the time before she died...
i remember she loved daisys and i had daisy dishes at that
time....
bobby came to my house both times i was pregnant and
held my hand when i was home waiting for contractions..
we drank coffee , laughed , and counted pains...
he let me go to hospital by my self but was there
when it counted the few hours before the final delivery....
i will always remember him and her with fond memories...
love ya
xxoo
kat
At one point during my week-long visit with Bob and Dottie that Sue mentions, we went to church. In my memory it was Presbyterian, although it might have been some other denomination. It certainly was not Catholic. I'd been to Ma's Presbyterian church before, but going to Catholic school, it was Catholic mass that I was used to. I had never seen a protestant communion service, but that Sunday with Bob and Dottie there was one. Bob was about to let me go up to the alter, but saw that I hesitated.
"Have you had first communion in your church yet?" he asked.
I shook my head no.
"Well you better wait on this then," he said in a kindly manner. So I had to wait another year or two.
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