February 28, 1949 – November 3, 2021
Michael (Mike) David Taylor passed away on November 3, 2021, in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he lived with his wife of 16 years, Emily Yount, and their beloved canine companion Blondie.
Mike was born to David and Sylvia Friedland Taylor at Menorah Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri. When he was 10 years old, the family moved to Overland Park, Kansas, where, in 1967, he was a member of the first graduating class at Shawnee Mission South High School. He subsequently attended the University of Kansas and graduated from UMKC.
The Taylor family belonged to The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah, where Mike had his bar mitzvah and confirmation. He was a proud member of Kansas City AZA Chapter 2 (“The Twos”), forging lifelong friendships through BBYO that continued into adulthood, renewed for decades in monthly poker games.
Known for his quick wit and sarcasm, Mike was an avid lifelong writer, voracious reader, and fan of the KC Chiefs, Royals, and Arthur Bryant’s BBQ. Along with food and Kansas City sports, he was a blues and jazz lover, volunteering for KCUR. His restaurant reviews for The Pitch were among his most widely read pieces and the ones he took pride in the most. Not only did he get to dine and write — two favorite pastimes — but he also got to share the experience with friends and family members. Of course, he took credit for treating them to dinner.
Mike’s varied career path included stints as a Royals Stadium beer vendor; bartender in several popular Kansas City venues, especially the Westport area; advertising agencies first in Kansas City and later San Diego, California (Mrs. Taylor’s Kids); and office manager. He retired from the IRS before relocating from Kansas City to Corpus Christi.
In addition to his wife, Mike is survived by sisters Elizabeth Taylor Quilliam (Michael L. Quilliam), East Lansing, Michigan; Judith Taylor Fischer (John Fischer), Tallahassee, Florida; niece Tasha Quilliam (Andrew Schroeder), Madison, Wisconsin; nephews Nicholas Fischer (Katy) and Alex Fischer (Katelin), both of Tallahassee; and nephew Brett Quilliam, Lansing, Michigan; and their families.
Mike was a fighter. He survived everything life threw his way, including hairy cell leukemia, only to be stricken later by breast cancer, the ultimate cause of his death.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Mike’s memory may be made to:
Breast Cancer Research Foundation, BCRF.org
KCUR - NPR Radio in KC, KCUR.org
Send A Smile Today, https://sendasmiletoday.org/donate/
Arrangements are being handled by Guardian Funeral Home, Corpus Christi, Texas. A celebration of Mike’s life will be held in Corpus Christi on November 20, 2021.
