Samuel Woolley Taylor passed away September 26, 1997, at his home in Redwood City, CA at the age of 90.
Grandson of LDS Church president John Taylor, and one of 36 children of a polygamous apostle, Sam was born in Provo, Utah, February 5, 1907, to John W. and Janet M. Taylor. He was raised in Provo and attended BYU, where Gay Dimick captured his heart. Married in California in 1934, they recently celebrated their 63rd anniversary.Sam began his writing career as a college student. He published hundreds of short stories and articles in magazines such as Saturday Evening Post, Collier's and Esquire. Books, plays and movie and television screen plays garnered him a Literary Guild honor, a Pulitzer Prize nomination, and numerous awards. His story of "The Absent-Minded Professor" was filmed by Walt Disney and nominated as the "best written American comedy of 1961" by the Screen Writers Guild of America. Several books and articles on Mormondom fulfilled his lifelong passion to document his unique heritage.
Drafted into World War II, he served two and a half years in the Strategic Air Force in Europe. He was decorated with the Bronze Star Medal, the Legion of Merit, the European African Middle Eastern Service Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal.
He is survived by his wife, Gay; daughter and son-in-law, Sara and Paul Weston; grandchildren, Patrick and Elizabeth Weston, all of Redwood City, CA; and sisters, Margaret T. Heywood of Salt Lake City, UT; Ellen T. Barlow of St. George, UT; Pearl T. Anderson of Bloomington, IL; and one brother, Arial Taylor of Washington, UT.
A memorial service will be held Tuesday, September 30 at the Redwood City LDS Church on Edgewood Road at 4:30 p.m. A graveside service will be held at the Provo City Cemetery in Utah on Saturday, October 4 at 3 p.m. Friends are invited to attend. Arrangements are through Spangler Mortuary in Menlo Park. Memorial contributions to the American Red Cross are preferred.
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