TAYLOR, Graham Edward, Esq.

It is with great sorrow that the family of Graham Edward Taylor, Esq. announce his unexpected passing at age 64 from sudden cardiac arrest on March 23, 2018 at his home in Midland, MI. He leaves his cherished wife of 42 years, Elizabeth Ann ‘Liz,’ and his three children of whom he was so proud, Drew Michael Taylor, Esq. and his wife, Dr. Julie Bodwell Taylor of La Cañada, California; his daughter, Claire Marianne Taylor and her husband, Daniel Fisker of Toronto, Ontario; and Geoffrey Graham Taylor, Esq. of Los Angeles, California and his fiancée, Leana Da Silva of Toronto, Ontario. As well, he was an energetic and engaged ‘Papa’ to his three beloved grandchildren, William, Gemma, and Wyatt of La Cañada, California.

In St. Catharines, Ontario, his birthplace, he leaves his dear mother, Edith Taylor; his brother, Dean Taylor (Marcie Doan); nephew, Zachary; in Tweed, Ontario, his brother-in-law, Steve Ferguson (Judy); his nephew and niece, Brian and Sarah. He also leaves his sister-in-law, Mary Margaret Gannon (Dr. Liam Gannon) of Sarnia, Ontario and their children, Dr. Kate Gannon (Stephen Holmes), Angela (Sam) Salem, and William Gannon (Correne Arrand). He was predeceased by his father, William Taylor; and his sister, Jane Ferguson.

Graham was educated at Ridley College in St. Catharines, Ontario. He earned a law degree at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. After articling at the Department of Justice in Ottawa, he was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1978. He achieved his Master of Laws in 1987 from the University of Michigan and thereafter, was called to the State Bar of Michigan. He joined Dow Chemical Canada (Sarnia) in their legal department in 1978. Five years later, he was invited to be part of Dow’s U.S. legal department in Midland, Michigan; first, in the corporate financial law group and then, four years later, the plastics business law department. A highlight of his career was accepting the position of General Counsel of Dow Europe, Middle East, and Africa in Horgen, Switzerland in 1993 at the age of 40. In this role, Graham had the unique opportunity to work with the German government in the early days of reunification as Dow acquired the former East German Buna chemical complex near Leipzig, Germany.

By 1999, Graham and family returned to Midland after he was named Associate General Counsel Global Intellectual Property. Four years later, he was made Associate General Counsel Global Commercial Law. In 2009, Graham elected to retire as Associate General Counsel Global Commercial Law and Asia Pacific Legal. At this time, he established a private law practice consulting extensively on Dow international joint venture projects for eight years. Recently, he was working for the Sadara Chemical Company in Saudi Arabia on an ongoing project. Graham was a board member of the Chippewa Nature Center and served as its Director in 1991-92. He was a loyal patron of the Stratford Festival and the Shaw Festival. Most recently, he joined the Board of Midland Kids First. Graham and Liz, and her late aunts, Rita and Frances Lindenfield, were founding members of the Lindenfield Family Fund for Ophthalmic Research at the University of Toronto, named in honour of Liz’s maternal grandparents.

Although he traveled frequently for business, Graham’s interest in seeing the world never ceased! He and Liz enjoyed walking the West Scottish Islands; a visit to northern Canada to view polar bears in the wild; and a fascinating trip to Japan, just to name a few. As well, he loved family canoeing in Algonquin Park; an epic bicycle tour with his sons across the Netherlands; and, with friends, touring the scenic Amalfi coast, wine tasting in Napa Valley, and discovering Australia and New Zealand. During their years in Switzerland, there were countless family trips exploring Italy, Spain, France, and every inch of England!

A principled man, Graham lived his life with kindness, boundless curiosity, and a love of learning. His dynamism and generosity of spirit will be missed by family, friends, and colleagues all over the world. Throughout his busy career and demanding schedule, his family was always his priority, his inspiration, and his profound joy.

Funeral service will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Midland, Michigan on Monday, April 9, 2018 at 11 a.m.