Mourning the Passing of Friends: Forthcoming Funeral Services

“What we have once enjoyed we can never lose.  All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” ~ Helen Keller

Forthcoming funeral services are planned for the following friends from our community. Complete versions of these obituaries may also be found in The Payson Chronicle.

Dennis Oral Taylor

Dennis Oral Taylor, age 67, passed away on January 16, 2019 due to Multiple Myeloma. Dennis was born July 4, 1951 in Salina, Utah to Oral Calvert and Millie LaVeda Andrews Taylor.

He attended school in Aurora and Payson, Utah. He was raised on the family farm.

He married DeAnn Mitchell February 15, 1969 and they were sealed in the Manti Temple March 21, 1970. She passed away January 23, 1979. He married Katheryn Matthews on June 30, 1979 in Payson, Utah and they were sealed in the Manti Temple January 8, 1981.

Dennis was happiest when  hunting, camping, riding horses, going to Fish Lake, and Boulder Mountain. He had a great sense of humor. He loved  family reunions and his daily Pepsi run with his brother. He had a passion for music and loved to sing! He was a member of Trouveres and also played the guitar.

He spent twenty years working at Pacific States Steel. He was also a bus driver for Nebo School District, taking great pride in the fact that he took over his father’s former bus, at first driving his route, and then driving the teams for Springville High School.

Working with  youth was very important to Dennis. He always had great faith in the youth, believing if they were trained and given the chance to grow on their own, they would accomplish great things. He spent many years working with young people as a leader in the Boy Scouts of America, and directing the Payson City Youth Court. He loved training scouts as director of Timberline camps. In 2001 he was awarded the Silver Beaver for his excellence in Scouting leadership. His direction of the city youth court reached other communities as he was a member of the State Youth Court Board and contributed to implementing the program around the state.  He also enjoyed working with the staff and students at Payson High School as a campus supervisor.

Dennis was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He served many years as a Young Men’s leader, Stake and Ward Young Men’s President, Stake Athletic Director, Ward Clerk, Primary Teacher and a favorite calling was serving as a Counselor in the Bishopric of the Payson YSA Ward.

Dennis is survived by his wife, Katheryn, children: Rhyn (Lori) Taylor, Scott (Gina) Taylor, Rob (Anjelica) Fenn, Tiffany (Cass) Taylor, Matt (Mindy) Fenn, Megan Fenn, Travis (Chellsea) Taylor, 25 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, siblings: Wayland (Pat) Taylor, Carol (Keith) Walker, Shanna (Mark) Hansen, Jeanine (Kerry) Stacey, Linda (Jeff) Petersen, and Janet (Travis) Franson.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife DeAnn Mitchell, and in-laws, Glyn and Charmaine Matthews.

A viewing will be held Monday, January 21, 2019 from 6-8 p.m at Walker Funeral Home, 587 S. 100 W. Payson, Utah.

A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, January 22, 2019 at 11 a.m. at the Payson Utah Stake Center, 650 West 800 South, Payson. A viewing will be held prior to the service from 9:30 -10:30 a.m. at the same church. Interment will be held at the Payson City Cemetery.

The family would like to thank the nurses, aids, and doctors at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and BMT Clinic. They would especially like to thank Mary Steinbach (APRN), Janet Weidner (PA-C), Tibor Kovacsovics (MD) for their amazing treatment of Dennis and his family. They became family.