Thomas Michael Taylor of Ventura, IA, died on Wednesday, March 29th at the age of 68. He passed away at his home, surrounded by family, after a battle with cancer.
April 18, 1954 – March 29, 2023
A celebration of life will be held 4:00pm to 7:00pm, Friday, April 7th, at Ventura Community Center, 4 Weimer St., Ventura, IA 50482. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to the Tom Taylor Memorial Fund, PO Box 315, Ventura.
Visitation will be held from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, Thursday, April 6th at Ward Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, 310 1st Ave. N., Clear Lake, IA 50428.
Tom was born in Ottumwa, IA and was one of six children of Ivan and Gloria Taylor. He grew up in Iowa and spent summers at his grandparents’ dairy farm in Wisconsin.
He met his wife Else in Houston, TX, where they had two children, Jessica and Jacob, before moving back to Iowa. Tom and Else were lovingly married for 37 years. During his time in Ventura, Tom served on the volunteer fire department, as a city council member, and as mayor. He worked for the Union Pacific Railroad until his retirement in 2021.
Tom has always been an avid car enthusiast, from soap box derbies in front of the Iowa Capitol Building as a kid, to the first coupe he bought with his dad, to racing cars with the SCCA and locally, and to collecting and reviving old classics and even tractors in his shop in Ventura. An old gas station, his shop was where he toiled over old engines, rebuilt a Chevy Nova with his son, collected antiques and memorabilia, and enjoyed the company of other like-minded collectors and car enthusiasts.
Tom is survived by his mother, Gloria Taylor; wife, Else Taylor; children, Jesse, Jessica, and Jacob; grandchild, Lauren; and his siblings, Pam Schmidt, Peggy Baldwin, Patricia Keller, Penny Taylor-Dahl, and Timothy Taylor.
He was preceded in death by his father, Ivan Taylor.
Tom will be dearly missed by his family.
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