A visitation will be held on Monday, November 6, 2017, at Indiana Funeral Care from 9:30 a.m. until the service time of 10:30. Burial will follow at Marion National Cemetery.

William O. Taylor left this world on Wednesday, November 1, 2017, at the age of 94.   From his childhood on farms in Crawford County to dancing at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in the 1940s, he was a Hoosier through and through.  Hovering over his formative years was the sense of mortality wrought by the Great War and the Flu Epidemic of 1918, as well as the rural poverty of the Great Depression. In spite of, or because of that background, Bill Taylor knew how to savor life.  After a stint in the Navy, he majored in psychology at Evansville College (now U of E) on the G.I. Bill.  There he met his late wife Kathryn—they were together 65 years.  Setting out to have at least 6 children, between 1950 and 1961 they ended up with 8:  Frederick, Daniel, Michael, Dennis, Arlene Hammons, Kenneth, Frieda, and Nancy Ackerman.  It was Bill who filled out the Planned Parenthood application for the newly released birth control pill: “I had to flip the form over to fit you all in.”

As usual for the 1950s and 60s, he worked for over 25 years at the same company, Travelers Insurance Company while working second jobs like projectionist and vacuum salesman.  Still, he made time for his avocations including community theater, collecting–as well as cracking–hickory nuts, writing poems, woodworking, and taking his children on long drives and walks. Additionally, he was an inventor in the kitchen, enjoying his culinary results all by himself.

But it was not until his early retirement in his late 50s that the world truly opened up for Bill.  He completed the Purdue Master Gardener Program, first tackling roses.  Eventually, he landed in the gourd world (not kidding look it up).  Bill grew and decorated a lot of gourds, and then more.  He also read for the blind on local radio, was on the town council for Rocky Ripple, and picked up seasonal jobs like delivering telephone books.

Bill grew a long white beard (a la current Dave Letterman) and loved to surprise acquaintances who did not recognize him behind all the hair.  He started acting in commercials and posing for advertising spreads.  Inevitably, the beard led him to appear as Santa Claus; he was the archetypical mall Santa for over 12 seasons, after which the kiddies’ colds and flu forced him out of the profession.  The spending-money-job that gave him the most exposure, however, was modeling for students at the Indiana Herron School of Art—naked.  For this position, he landed in an Emmy-winning episode of “Across Indiana” on WFYI titled “Naked Santa.”  The 15-minute video is still available online.

Bill, or “Pop,” was beloved by his children and their spouses, his 18 grandchildren, and his 18 great-grandchildren.  They will all miss his eccentric dressing style, his unique stories, and his love.  He is survived by all 5 of his siblings, Charles, Lee, Roma Mills, Samuel, and James.  He is predeceased by his wife Kathryn, and his sons Daniel and Kenneth.

Arrangements entrusted to Indiana Funeral Care.