Charles “Chuck” Richard Taylor, 77 of Boise, passed away December 18, 2024.
Chuck Taylor died as he lived: with honor and dignity. This is HIS story -
I was born in Wichita, Kansas, the second son of Charlene and Richard Taylor. I spent my young years in Coffeeville, Kansas, on a small farm where I fished in our ponds, and rode my horse Pat to a one room country school, and competed with him in “Shodeo’s.” It was the perfect childhood.
When I was twelve our family moved to Dodge City, Kansas. I hated it there. I began bugging my parents to let me go to Kemper Military Academy– my father’s Alma mater. Finally they relented, and I graduated from Kemper in 1965.
I wanted to enlist in the Army right away. But I was convinced to abandon that plan when my father, a WWII medic, took me to the garage, put me up against the wall and demanded I go to college first.
Thank heaven I listened to him! I enrolled in Dodge City Community College where I played football and fell head over heels for one of the cheerleaders. Her name was Ann. But by the time we both graduated from Washburn University, in1969, her name had changed to Ann Taylor. The university was swarming with recruiters and I was still eager to be a military man, so I signed up for Navy flight school.
Two years later, our first born was 8 months old and I was off to Vietnam. I was blessed beyond measure to have been assigned to the Navy Seawolves: a unique group of Seal Teams, gunship pilots, and gunners. We were a band of brothers who can boast of being the most highly decorated squadron in the U.S.Navy.
After Vietnam, Ann and I served 22 more years. We experienced some long cruises, and many other 6-9 month separations that required Ann and the other Navy wives to support each other through the joys of childbirth as well as the agony of the death of a husband. Neither Ann or I would have chosen a different life!
When I retired out of NAS Lemoore where I was flying search and rescue, I joined the Forest Service. I loved fighting fires and managing contracts. However, Ann thought 40 years in that “contraption” was enough. So I retired for good in 2010. I had 14 wonderful years of retirement with my bride during which we were able to enjoy our grown children and our 10 grandchildren. My temporal life certainly had its ups and downs. Not going to say otherwise. But I gotta tell ya, being absent from my broken down old body, and being in the presence of my Lord is aces! I thank Him everyday that Ann has our children and you all to look after her until she and you all join me when it is your time to pull chokes.
A committal service will be held, 11:00 am, June 13, 2025 at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery, 10100 Horseshoe Bend Rd., Boise, Idaho.