Taylor, Clyde S. III

Clyde S. Taylor III passed away peacefully on Friday, March 31, 2017 at the Leo Center for Caring in Rochester, New York, at the age of 64. He was born on May 16, 1952 in Youngstown, Ohio to Clyde and Frankie (Thomas) Taylor.

Clyde grew up in Liberty Township, Ohio, surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. He graduated from Liberty High School in 1970. After graduation, he attended Kent State University and Bowling Green State University, where he earned degrees in journalism and business administration.

Clyde married Jan J. Taylor on June 19, 1976 at Church Hill United Methodist Church in Liberty Township. They met and began dating while in high school.

Upon graduating from Bowling Green, Clyde began his career in sales for Eastman Kodak Company in Mobile, Alabama, before settling in Rochester. He went on to start his own marketing consulting business, Taylor Communications, advising companies and organizations in the areas of staff development, employee recruitment and retention, business and strategic planning, market research, retail merchandising, and marketing communications. He was also a featured speaker and presenter at conferences, conventions, and corporate meetings in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Clyde sat on several nonprofit boards and was a task force member of Upstate New York Urban Academy. He was also appointed as a consultancy adviser to Kamina Friends, a nonprofit corporation that provides training and coaching support to local entrepreneurs and business leaders in Kamina, a city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Ronald, as well as by his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Richard and Florence Jebo.

Clyde is survived by his wife, Jan, and their three children: Jill T. Holland (Tony), Jennifer T. Skotcher (John), and Jeffery Taylor. He is also survived by his four grandchildren: Ella and Everett Skotcher, and Taylor and Hadley Holland; as well as by his sisters, Janice Burke (Ray) and Joan Houy (John), brothers-in-law Rick (Patricia) Jebo and Mark (Nanci) Jebo, and several cousins, nieces, and nephews.

His faith was an integral part of his life, and he was active in the Fairport United Methodist Church, serving in various roles throughout the years, including as a youth group leader, a Sunday school teacher, and as a member of men’s groups.

An avid storyteller, Clyde entertained with his words. He would often make up tales for his children, nieces and nephews, and later his grandchildren, and wrote school plays for his wife and daughters’ classes to perform over the years. He also enjoyed travel, sports, the outdoors, and reading.

He touched many lives and will be greatly missed by friends, family, and the wider community that he always felt pulled to serve.

Calling hours will be held at Richard H. Keenan Funeral Home, 7501 Pittsford-Palmyra Rd., Fairport, NY, on May 5, 2017, from 3-7 p.m. A memorial service will be held at the Fairport United Methodist Church, 31 W. Church St., on May 7, 2017 at 2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Leo Center for Caring, 1500 Portland Ave., Rochester, NY 14621.

“Why don’t we truly understand death?
Just like birth,
It remains one of the greatest mysteries of life.”
​​~ Clyde S. Taylor III