(11/23/14) Curtis Bobbie Taylor was born in Danville, Virginia on September 12, 1930 to Charles Spurgeon Taylor and Ollie Virginia (Hubbard) Taylor. He was the seventh of eight children; he had five sisters and two brothers.
Curtis enlisted in the United States Navy in 1947 at the age of seventeen and was stationed in Pensacola, Florida. Shortly thereafter, he married the love of his life, Margaret Leigh (Calvert) Taylor. They relocated to Rhode Island in 1951, when Curtis was transferred to Quonset Point. There, they would settle in East Greenwich, RI where they started a family: on February, 24, 1954, Curtis and Margaret welcomed a son, Mark Curtis, to the family. Two years later on October 8, 1956, a second son, Paul Lee, would complete their circle of four.
While raising the boys and continuing his career in the Navy, Curtis took part in two notable historic events. In February, 1962, he was stationed aboard the U.S.S. Randolph, which served as the recovery ship for John Glenn\'s first U.S. orbital flight aboard Friendship Seven. Also, in the fall of 1962, he was stationed aboard the U.S.S. Essex, which was part of the U.S. Naval blockade during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Curtis would retire from the Navy in 1967 with twenty years of proud service and experiences he would pass on to future generations.
After he retired, Curtis worked as an elevator mechanic for Shepard Elevator Company for 15 years, and for Hobart Industrial Maintenance for 10 years. He retired in 1992.
Curtis loved gospel music, sports, American cars, and his family. In addition to his loving wife and beloved sons, he was close to his nine grandchildren, and proudly kept a record of his family\'s genealogy in his Bible. He attended church faithfully, and was involved in church leadership at several churches in the local area, including Apponaug Pentecostal Church, North Kingstown Assembly of God and the Solid Rock Assembly of God. Curtis used his love for music in service to the Lord as well, also leading worship on many occasions.
Curtis and Margaret enjoyed 62 years of marriage until her passing in October of 2012. He is survived by his older brother, C.S. Taylor of St. Simon Island, Georgia, his sister Jean (Taylor) Barker of Danville, Virginia, his two sons and their wives, Mark and Anna Taylor of Gurnee, Illinois and Paul and Karen Taylor of South Paris, Maine. His nine grandchildren, Holly (Taylor) Rodriguez and her husband Robert of El Paso, Texas; Megan (Taylor) Vandevanter, and her husband Willis of York, Maine; Erin Taylor of Chicago, Illinois; Cory Taylor of Boston, Massachusetts; Katy (Taylor) Saucedo and her husband, Manuel, of Elkhart, Indiana; Kyle Taylor of Dorchester, Massachusetts; Justin Taylor of Lisle, Illinois; Kirstin Taylor of Gurnee, Illinois; and Kelsey Taylor of Gurnee, Illinois.
He is also survived by many faithful and wonderful friends who have been so generous and helpful over the years.
A funeral service will be held at Solid Rock Assembly of God, 1735 Phenix Avenue, Cranston on Friday, December 5 at 10 AM followed with military burial at RI Veterans Cemetery in Exeter. His Calling hours will be from 3-6 PM in church on Thursday.
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