Rev. Jerald Alan Jerry Taylor
d. December 13, 2012
Rev. Jerald Alan Jerry Taylor
Rev. Jerry Taylor
Augusta, GA –Rev. Jerald A. Taylor went to his Lord, Jesus Christ whom he valiantly served, on Thursday, December 13, 2012
Rev. Jerry Alan “Jerry” Taylor was born in Kingsport, TN. He was diagnosed as having cerebral palsy at age one. His parents were told that he probably would never talk or walk and would be mentally retarded. Jerry’s parents did not give up. Several years later they found a school in Florida where Jerry and his mother attended three months of intensive evaluation and therapy. The staff told them to enroll him in public school and to encourage him to do anything he wanted to do. The family moved to Augusta in 1952. When he finished the eighth grade, he was told that he would never be able to finish high school simply because no one with his type of disability had ever done so. Undaunted, Jerry again defied “experts”. He graduated from Richmond Academy in 1960.
That same year, Jerry had two brain surgeries to relieve some of the spasticity on his right side. During his recuperation he attended the Augusta Training Shop for the Handicapped, where he saw the need for a structured recreational and social outlet for disabled persons in Augusta. Since he had taught himself to bowl, he believed that a bowling league would provide such an outlet. Jerry and the late Bill Kircheim, Jr. then manager of the Master’s Bowling Lanes, joined together to form the first Exceptional Bowing League in the U.S. to be sanctioned by the Men’s American Bowling Congress and by the Women’s International Bowling Congress. This led to a job for Jerry at the Master’s Bowling Lanes. These leagues are still ongoing. He worked at Master’s Bowling Lanes until he decided to go to college in 1970.
Jerry received his BA degree in 1974 from Mt. Vernon College, Mt. Vernon, OH where he also learned to drive a car. He then went on to seminary at the Methodist Theological School in Delaware, OH where he earned two Masters Degrees by 1978. During this time he did a year’s internship as a chaplain at Central Ohio Psychiatric Hospital in Columbus, OH.
In 1978 Jerry moved back to Augusta as a lay pastor at Trinity-on-the-Hill United Methodist Church to begin his ministry to handicapped persons. His dream of a city-wide ministry to handicapped persons culminated in 1982 with formation of the Community Outreach Program for the Handicapped, Inc., of which Jerry was director. Jerry and his wife, Louise, devoted the rest of their careers to development of Community Outreach Program, which served over 400 disabled people and their families in greater Augusta. He served as consultant for the Roosevelt-Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation in Warm Springs, GA and for the Augusta Transit Authority’s Handicapped Advisory committee. He has served on the board of directors of the Augusta Training Shop for the Handicapped, Inc., the Mayor’s Committee on Employing the Handicapped, the Advisory Council of Walton Rehabilitation Hospital in Augusta on statewide and local boards and committees dealing with disability issues. He was involved in AMBUCS, (America Business Clubs) since 1964, serving as national key note speaker, vice president, president and chaplain for the Augusta Chapter.
Jerry was ordained in June 1984, realizing his life long dream of becoming an ordained minister. He was an active member of the Northeast Presbytery, Presbyterian Church, USA, where he served on many committees. In 1998 Jerry was a minister delegate to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church.
Rev. Taylor is survived by his wife of 32 years, Louise S. Taylor. He is also survived by three special cousins, Peggy Snavely, Barbara Brooks and Brenda Wallin, all of the Kingsport, TN area.
A memorial service will be held at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church 3351 Wheeler Road, Augusta, GA 30909, Saturday, December 15, at 3:00 P.M. with Rev. Ed Rees and Rev. Robert Hunt officiating. Visitation will be in the Hunt Building one hour prior to the service. Interment will be private.
The family request that in lieu of flowers, contribution be made to St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, earmarked Mission Trust Fund, 3351 Wheeler Road, Augusta, GA 30909, or to Exceptional Bowling League c/o AMBUCS P.O. Box 266 Augusta 30903.
Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Rd., Augusta, GA 30907 (706) 364-8484. Please sign the guestbook at www.thomaspoteet.com
Augusta, GA –Rev. Jerald A. Taylor went to his Lord, Jesus Christ whom he valiantly served, on Thursday, December 13, 2012
Rev. Jerry Alan “Jerry” Taylor was born in Kingsport, TN. He was diagnosed as having cerebral palsy at age one. His parents were told that he probably would never talk or walk and would be mentally retarded. Jerry’s parents did not give up. Several years later they found a school in Florida where Jerry and his mother attended three months of intensive evaluation and therapy. The staff told them to enroll him in public school and to encourage him to do anything he wanted to do. The family moved to Augusta in 1952. When he finished the eighth grade, he was told that he would never be able to finish high school simply because no one with his type of disability had ever done so. Undaunted, Jerry again defied “experts”. He graduated from Richmond Academy in 1960.
That same year, Jerry had two brain surgeries to relieve some of the spasticity on his right side. During his recuperation he attended the Augusta Training Shop for the Handicapped, where he saw the need for a structured recreational and social outlet for disabled persons in Augusta. Since he had taught himself to bowl, he believed that a bowling league would provide such an outlet. Jerry and the late Bill Kircheim, Jr. then manager of the Master’s Bowling Lanes, joined together to form the first Exceptional Bowing League in the U.S. to be sanctioned by the Men’s American Bowling Congress and by the Women’s International Bowling Congress. This led to a job for Jerry at the Master’s Bowling Lanes. These leagues are still ongoing. He worked at Master’s Bowling Lanes until he decided to go to college in 1970.
Jerry received his BA degree in 1974 from Mt. Vernon College, Mt. Vernon, OH where he also learned to drive a car. He then went on to seminary at the Methodist Theological School in Delaware, OH where he earned two Masters Degrees by 1978. During this time he did a year’s internship as a chaplain at Central Ohio Psychiatric Hospital in Columbus, OH.
In 1978 Jerry moved back to Augusta as a lay pastor at Trinity-on-the-Hill United Methodist Church to begin his ministry to handicapped persons. His dream of a city-wide ministry to handicapped persons culminated in 1982 with formation of the Community Outreach Program for the Handicapped, Inc., of which Jerry was director. Jerry and his wife, Louise, devoted the rest of their careers to development of Community Outreach Program, which served over 400 disabled people and their families in greater Augusta. He served as consultant for the Roosevelt-Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation in Warm Springs, GA and for the Augusta Transit Authority’s Handicapped Advisory committee. He has served on the board of directors of the Augusta Training Shop for the Handicapped, Inc., the Mayor’s Committee on Employing the Handicapped, the Advisory Council of Walton Rehabilitation Hospital in Augusta on statewide and local boards and committees dealing with disability issues. He was involved in AMBUCS, (America Business Clubs) since 1964, serving as national key note speaker, vice president, president and chaplain for the Augusta Chapter.
Jerry was ordained in June 1984, realizing his life long dream of becoming an ordained minister. He was an active member of the Northeast Presbytery, Presbyterian Church, USA, where he served on many committees. In 1998 Jerry was a minister delegate to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church.
Rev. Taylor is survived by his wife of 32 years, Louise S. Taylor. He is also survived by three special cousins, Peggy Snavely, Barbara Brooks and Brenda Wallin, all of the Kingsport, TN area.
A memorial service will be held at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church 3351 Wheeler Road, Augusta, GA 30909, Saturday, December 15, at 3:00 P.M. with Rev. Ed Rees and Rev. Robert Hunt officiating. Visitation will be in the Hunt Building one hour prior to the service. Interment will be private.
The family request that in lieu of flowers, contribution be made to St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, earmarked Mission Trust Fund, 3351 Wheeler Road, Augusta, GA 30909, or to Exceptional Bowling League c/o AMBUCS P.O. Box 266 Augusta 30903.
Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Rd., Augusta, GA 30907 (706) 364-8484. Please sign the guestbook at www.thomaspoteet.com
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Rev. Jerald Alan Jerry Taylor, please visit our flower store.
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