Obituary of Don C. Taylor

On July 28, 2020, a beautiful Northwest summer day, the sun set on a beloved and larger than life Washington mountain.  The alpenglow on Mount Rainier was terrific, too – a fitting alpine sendoff for Don Taylor, whose passions included spending time in the mountains. 

 

Donald Charles “Don” Taylor was born July 6, 1944, in Seattle, Washington, to William Henry “Bill” Taylor and Ruth Ellen (Webber) Taylor.   Don died peacefully on July 28, 2020, at the age of 76, surrounded by his loving family.  He had an aggressive form of prostate cancer. Early in Don’s childhood, his family lived in Renton, Washington.  The family then moved to Toppenish, Washington, where he grew up. In 1962, Don graduated from Toppenish High School. He was an accomplished trombone player in the band and played on the football, basketball, and baseball teams.   

 

After high school, Don attended Whitman College in Walla Walla.  A highlight of his college years was studying abroad for a year in Kleiningersheim, Germany, at Schiller College, an experience that bolstered his lifelong interests in history and travel. Apart from his studies, when Don was not playing right tackle on the football team, he could be found playing trombone in the Walla Walla Symphony.  He was also a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.  In 1966, Don graduated with a major in History and minor in English from Whitman College. He then spent two years in the Peace Corps teaching English in Tunisia. Don then attended graduate school at the University of Washington and received a Master of Public Administration in 1970.

 

During graduate school, he started working as a tax analyst intern in the Research Division at the Washington State Department of Revenue in Olympia. Don went on to work for the agency for 43 years before retiring as a revenue analysis manager in 2012. He was an expert in areas of quantitative analysis on subjects such as tax policy, state and local government financing, and revenue forecasting.  Don was well known for his writing and editorial acumen. Over his career, Don published numerous studies on taxes and revenue for the state, including a tax reference manual, and a tax exemption study that became a recurring report for the Washington State Legislature.   

 

Throughout his career, Don was guided by his strong belief that conscientious policymakers can best serve the public interest when they make thoughtful and responsible decisions informed by sound data and objective analysis.  For his part, Don sought to contribute by helping to provide the solid information foundation required for a legitimate public policy process to function.  Don found purpose in his professional career, but also friendship.  He had the good fortune to work with a talented team of colleagues, many of whom also worked for Revenue for decades, and Don treasured the numerous lifelong friendships this collaboration produced. 

 

Don had wide-ranging interests outside of work.  Although he loved books, Don also enjoyed reading music, topographic maps, and tide charts. 

 

Don was an avid reader. For example, when his wife, Jean, worked in Salinas, California, Don took that as an opportunity to read all of John Steinbeck’s work.  Don firmly agreed with Steinbeck’s comment, “I guess there are never enough books.”  He enjoyed the lifelong pursuit of learning – especially one of his favorite subjects, history. 

 

Throughout his life, Don enjoyed hiking, backpacking, and mountaineering with his family and friends. He climbed and backpacked extensively in the Cascades and Olympics, completing the entire Washington section of the Pacific Crest Trail, the Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier, and summiting many peaks and mountains in Washington, Oregon, and California. Don volunteered for The Mountaineers organization for many years – writing and editing contributions to their monthly newsletter.  

 

Don loved finding – and sharing with his family and friends – great places to eat.  From Aberdeen to Zillah and everywhere in between, he could be counted on to find the perfect bear claw, hamburger with Walla Walla sweet onions, huckleberry shake, or piece of pie. 

 

He also enjoyed classical music and attending the symphony and opera.  

 

But most of all, Don valued his family.  During graduate school, he met his future spouse. Don married Jean Louise Zilliox on August 30, 1969. Don and Jean had two kids: Dan and Jennifer. While raising them in Olympia, Don volunteered with the kids’ activities for many years, assisting on Dan’s Boy Scouts outings and coaching Jennifer’s softball team, Dan’s Little League team, and both kids’ soccer teams. In more recent years, he delighted in spending time with his family, especially his four grandchildren: Katelin, Heather, Anna, and William.  Don and Jean shared a love of travel and went on many special trips throughout their marriage – from sailing the Inside Passage to Alaska in 1981 to driving across the country with the family. Don and Jean celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary in 2019, and marked the occasion by enjoying a river cruise in Europe.  

 

Don was a kind, gentle, and humble man. He epitomized “service above self” with his many formal and informal volunteer activities. He could always be counted on to put in hard work to get things done, never expecting accolades. In addition to other activities listed above, he volunteered with the historic tug “Sand Man” docked in downtown Olympia – serving as a board member and docent coordinator for many years (putting his history degree to good use!). Don also built and maintained a neighborhood trail to a community beach, collected litter along Cooper Point Road, and helped organize reunions for his high school and Germany study abroad program.  

 

 

Preceding Don in death are his parents, Bill and Ruth Taylor; and his younger brother, James Harold  “Jimmy” Taylor (1951). Don is survived by his wife, Jean, of Olympia; children, Dan (Rachael) Taylor of Arlington, Virginia; Jennifer (Ethan) Hennessey of Tacoma; and four delightful grandchildren; Katelin and Heather Hennessey, and Anna and William Taylor.  

 

His family looks forward to sharing those remembrances and hearing others with his friends and loved ones.  While the current health crisis precludes an in-person gathering to celebrate his life at this time, the family hopes to host an event in the future. 

 

During a series of health challenges, particularly in the last year of his life, Don frequently remarked about the compassion and expertise of the nurses, doctors, and other health care workers who cared for him.  We extend our thanks to all of them for helping Don – and us – during a difficult time for us, even as they have been under historic and life-threatening pressures themselves.   

 

In lieu of flowers, Don’s family suggests that well-wishers find an opportunity to express support and thanks for health care workers, or consider a contribution to the Seattle Symphony or Seattle Opera, The Mountaineers, or The Sand Man Foundation.

 

Check out the following YouTube video:

Don Taylor & Craig Kinnaman on the Sand Man Tug, Percival Landing August 2013

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvvex3T4i9M&fbclid=IwAR0nABSSxu5BYNk8HBszKNSacjOTeoziMN7g8J5K-V8z_zNllcURJWU2i64  

 

 

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