Thomas Dean Taylor

It is impossible to condense all that one man meant to so many people in a few sentences. Thomas Taylor passed away Tuesday, October 22, 2019. Tommy was born in 1939 in Denison, Texas to Everett "Curly" Taylor and Pauline Francis Taylor, where Curly worked for the Army Corp of Engineers at Lake Texoma. In 1944, the family moved to Santa Fe while Curly worked on the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos and then finally settled in Albuquerque in 1945. Tom attended La Mesa Elementary, Monroe Jr. High School, and Highland High School where he graduated in 1957, after winning the state tennis doubles title his senior year with his partner, Tony Bull. After high school, he joined the Army Reserves where he served one-year active duty followed by 8 years in the reserves. In 1960, he went to work for The Albuquerque National Bank. It was at Albuquerque National where he began his long career in banking, earning a banking degree from SMU in Dallas.  He was awarded a "Thesis of Distinction" for his work on The Economic Impact of the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque, New Mexico 1963-1969.  His thesis is housed at the UNM school library at their request. It was also at Albuquerque National Bank and followed by his tenure as President of Peoples State Bank and as the President of Citizens Bank of Albuquerque, where he began to truly impact so many people and their families by helping them get their businesses started. Banking was very different in those days and many of Albuquerque's most prominent business leaders visited Tom Taylor first to get the funding they needed to get their businesses off the ground. This is also where he pestered a teller named Karen Weiss every day to go out for a drink with him. She continued to say no until the one day he didn't ask.... that was the day she asked him and that was the start of their 55 years together.

At that time Karen had two small children, Steve and Lisa, and Tom had one son, Steven James. Tom and Karen married in 1966 and shortly after that Tom adopted Steve and Lisa with open arms, a full heart, and a lifetime commitment. In 1967 they added Mike to the family. Tom was a great athlete who played all sports but the one he loved the most was golf. He passed his love for golf onto his son, Mike, and they spent many years together playing the game they both loved so much. It was also the place where he built so many lifelong friendships. He spent 14 years coaching little league baseball at Altamont Little League where his teams won many championships. In his later years, and after having suffered a stroke at 52, he could no longer play golf, so he began having daily coffee visits with people who were ill or alone. He was a wonderful listener, he had a soft voice, and an enormously caring heart. He gave all of himself to his grandchildren one at a time and gave of himself to each one in a special way. He was fiercely protective of his family and friends and would give the shirt off his back to anyone who needed it. Tom never missed the moments in life that mattered, big and small: birthdays, holidays, graduations, weddings, and the births of his grandchildren. He loved unconditionally and will be missed beyond words. We are forever grateful to have had him as long as we did.

Tom Taylor is survived by his wife, Karen; brother, Richard "Dick" Taylor; children, Steven James, Steven Scott, Mike, and Lisa along with their spouses Denise, Jessica, and Dave; grandchildren, Patrick, Michael, Samantha, Kate, Owen, Sam, Adam, KC, Maggie, and Grace; brother and sister-in-law, Garry and Roxanne, and their children, Julie and Tracy; adopted grandkids, Cameron, Devin, Elyssa, and Carly; and four great-grandchildren. Special thanks to Ambercare Hospice for the love and care they gave to Tom. The family would like to especially thank Owen Taylor who personally and so unselfishly took care of his Papa day and night, no matter the conditions. Donations can be made in Tom’s name to The United Way.