Daniel "Tucker" Taylor

Graveside services with military honors for Charles Taylor will be held on Saturday, July 8, 2023 at 11:30 a.m. at the Farm Creek Cemetery in Henderson, Iowa. A Celebration of Life Gathering will follow, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., at the Indian Creek Historical Society and Museum near Hastings, Iowa. Loess Hills Funeral Home in Malvern is caring for Charles and his family.

Memorials: In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to K9s For Warriors (www.K9sForWarriors.org) an organization that provides highly-trained service dogs (most rescued from high kill shelters) to military veterans suffering from PTSD or traumatic brain injury.

OBITUARY
Daniel Charles "Tucker" Taylor, beloved husband, father, and grandfather passed away on May 13, 2023 after a brief but hard-fought battle with cancer. Dan's passion for life was evident from the very beginning of his life. The son of John Edward and Darlene Hope Taylor, Dan, was born in Red Oak, Iowa on March 25, 1943. Dan grew up in Hastings, Iowa and attended Hastings Public School and graduated from Nishna Valley High School in 1961.

Following high school, Dan enlisted in the United States Army and was stationed in Munich, Germany. Upon returning stateside, he married his high school sweetheart, Delma "Mickey" (Straight) on August 27, 1964. In 1965, Dan proudly re-enlisted in the Army and served in the Vietnam War. It was there that he was wounded in combat and received a Purple Heart and two Bronze Stars for his valor and service. Dan recovered from his injuries in Fort Riley, Kansas. The couple was then stationed in Fort Carson, Colorado, where Dan and Mickey welcomed their first child, a daughter, Danielle. After leaving the military, Dan moved his family back to Iowa and he graduated from Iowa Western Community College in 1972. Shortly after graduation, Dan and Mickey welcomed their son, Troy. As a family of four, the Taylors moved throughout Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Oklahoma as Dan's career with Williams Pipeline progressed. Dan was proud to work for Williams and spent 21 years with the company. In 1999 he achieved his goal of retiring early at just 56 years old.

Throughout the years, Dan and Mickey were avid road trippers, always traveling to spend time with loved ones near and far. Nothing made Dan happier than his family and friends. And in 2015, they made their final move to New Jersey to be closer to the grandchildren that became the primary focus of his later years. Dan spent his retirement cheering his grandchildren along their life milestones, always their number one fan and supporter of whatever sport or activity they chose to pursue. A prankster at heart, Dan spent much of his downtime thinking of new ways to tease and surprise his grandchildren. Dan had a gift for making everyone feel special. He always made sure everyone felt included and loved by sharing a joke or giving them a silly nickname. Dan will be remembered by his children as a generous, loving, hardworking father who inspired and guided them. He showed them the importance of living a joy-filled, purpose-driven life.

He leaves to mourn his wife, Mickey; daughter Danielle Taylor Devine of Princeton, NJ; son Troy Taylor of Tremonton, UT; and grandchildren, Olivia Taylor Devine of Hoboken, New Jersey; Jackson Devine (LSU Law School) Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Lindsay Taylor Devine (Georgetown) Washington D.C. as well as many cherished nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by parents, John and Darlene Taylor; and his brothers and sisters-in-law, Darrell and Darlene Taylor and Paul and Lana Taylor.