Incredible Loss

At the end of May—it was Memorial Day, in fact—we lost Aaron's stepdad John Taylor. His health had been declining for some time so we were expecting it but that does not lessen the blow of our "enemy, death". (1 Corinthians 15:26)

I first met John in August 1994 when my relationship with Aaron was brand new. Thus began my friendship with John and my love affair with sour cream ‘n’ onion dip.

Aaron and I loved waking up at Mom and John’s house in Salem. They lived in a neighborhood of tall trees. The house was alway cool and dark, “Sunday Morning Jazz” played on a favorite radio station and of course, there was coffee. We’d find John sitting in his favorite chair or out on the deck, if the weather was right. Usually he was reading—often a book about some historical event. 

John was definitely an "influencer" in our lives. He introduced us to musicians like BB King and Tony Joe White—and of course the lovely Peggy Lee. He loved music, good food, wine and spirits—really, the finer things in life. And he loved sharing it all with us kids.

We had many adventures with Mom and John—sailing on the Colombia River, driving through a wildlife reserve in South Africa, wine tasting in Oregon and South Africa, visiting breweries and distilleries all over Bend and ski weekends in Sunriver—just to name a few.

John loved to contribute to Aaron's beer glass collection. He'd say to the waiter, "My son has a collection…" in the hopes that they would give him the glass. If that didn't work he'd say, "Jan, put this in your purse." If you look closely, several of these glasses ended up in Aaron's collection.

He loved a good joke and told a great story.

And I mustn't leave out the fact that he was a huge fan and supporter of the University of Oregon Ducks. There was the time we traveled to Seattle for a rival game with the Huskies. He went to the game while the rest of us played around Seattle. When we went to pick him up, he was in a parking lot full of Huskies fans. As soon as he was in the safety of the car, he let out a hoop and holler in support of his team. Then he said, "Go Jan! Drive!"

John was kind, generous, hospitable—in short, he was a good man. We loved him very much. We take much comfort in Jesus' promise: "…the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs, will hear his voice and come out…" (John 5:28,29) and the Psalmist's words: "The righteous will possess the earth, and they will live forever on it." (Psalm 37:29) Until that day arrives, we will miss John and look forward to seeing him again.

To our dear family: We love you!

❤

To our dear friends: Thank you for your kind words of comfort.

We love you too!

❤