Larry Lee Taylor

Larry Lee Taylor, 82, passed away on Wednesday morning, September 9, surrounded by his family. A memorial service will be held at 10:00 AM at First Baptist Church of Columbus, on Thursday, September 24, with the family receiving visitors immediately afterward in the church fellowship hall.

Mr. Taylor was born July 13, 1944, on Ft. Benning, Georgia, the son of Mary Eleanor Posey Taylor and Byrl Dene Taylor. As the oldest of four, he helped his mother raise his younger siblings, working from an early age to help support the family.

His first job was working at his grandfather’s grocery store in the Rose Hill area of Columbus, where he earned enough to ride his bicycle down to the Bradley Theater each Saturday for a double feature.

A lifelong reader and history buff, he used his steel-trap mind to win most family board games—& arguments.

Larry attended Miami University on a Naval ROTC scholarship and spent a year working on Wall Street before returning home to attend the University of Georgia School of Law. While there, he was selected as the school’s delegate to the Fifth Circuit Court’s annual meeting in New Orleans, where he met the woman who would become his wife of 56 years.

Mr. Taylor practiced law for 51 years in Columbus and was known for his integrity and strong moral compass.

Often seen wearing a bow tie, Larry was a devoted leader within his community. He served as President of the Columbus Bar Association, the Chattahoochee Valley Bar Association, the St. Anne Home & School Association, and the Columbus Lions Club, Additionally, he was Chair of the Pacelli High School Board. He was a founding member of the Muscogee Rotary Club. He was a longtime member of First Baptist Church, where he was part of the Dan Ross Sunday School class, and served as a Deacon at Waldrop Memorial Baptist Church. Larry was also a member of the Friday Friars and Focus, the Spring Harbor Men’s Group.

Mr. Taylor, known as “Pops” to his grandchildren, is remembered by his family as loving, devoted and generous. He especially loved Christmas and his Golden Retriever, Kringle.

Survivors include his loving wife of 56 years, Sharmon McCarthy Taylor, his daughters Jenny Taylor Adams (Philip), Merritt Taylor Kite (Kenny), and Meghan Taylor Blackmon (Dykes), nine grandchildren — Philip Monroe Adams, III, Locke Weems Adams, Sara Eleanor “Sally” Adams , William Luke Carty (Kiara), John Thomas Carty, Sarah Kathryn “Kate” Carty Alexander (Zack), Mary Bright Blackmon, Sydney Dykes “Bo” Blackmon, Jr., and Elouise Fletcher “Loulie” Blackmon . He is also survived by his siblings, Gregory Dene Taylor and Cecilia Taylor Blue. He was preceded in death by his brother, James Byrl Taylor.

The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to Dr. Jimmy Elder and Columbus Hospice for their exceptional care during his last days.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Baptist Church at https://www.firstbaptistcolumbusga.com/make-a-donation, Columbus Hospice at https://www.columbushospice.com/donate , or Parkinson’s Research at https://give.michaeljfox.org/campaign/831853/donate.