Sylvia ‘Gayle’ Taylor
Sylvia “Gayle” Taylor was born Sept. 2, 1943 in Atkinson, Neb., to parents Frank W. and Kathrine E. Richards.
She passed away Nov. 3, 2020 surrounded by her husband and all of her children at Bryan Hospital in Lincoln at the age of 77 years, two months and one day.
Over her lifetime Gayle lived in many locations across Nebraska but she called Atkinson her home while growing up, Grand Island her home while going to beauty school and then Broken Bow which was her long-time home for 58 years. Nearly 50 of those years were spent raising her children in the house she built together with her husband on South H Street.
In the summer of 1959, at just 15 years old she met the love of her life, Duane Taylor, when she was in Broken Bow with her family for the summer while her father’s company fulfilled a construction project in the area. Less than four years later, on a beautiful sunny and warm Nov. 4,1962, when they were just 19 and 24, they married. She was just one-day shy of celebrating 58 years of marriage to her dearest husband.
Gayle attended Atkinson High School through her early teens, graduating in 1960. She then attended Grand Island Beauty School where she graduated and then worked at salons in Atkinson and O’Neil before opening the Doll-Up Beauty Salon in March, 1963, which she owned and operated until 1991.
She had many longtime customers and loved helping them look their very best. In addition to being a business owner, she was the Chief Operating Officer at home and the office manager for Taylor Construction until she retired in 2007.
A lover of flowers, Gayle had an extensive collection of nearly 100 roses along with many other types of flowers surrounding her home. In addition to taking care of her own flowers Gayle tended to the roses at the Methodist Church. She was always willing to explain where to cut the flowers and what to use to keep them safe from bugs and disease.
Her love of nature also included any kind of wildlife. Each day she would feed birds and squirrels in her backyard and watch the African Safari via webcam at night with her many friends from around the world. One of her favorite parts of going to the Rocky Mountains each year was seeing a variety of animals on the way.
She was dedicated to her husband, children and adored her 13 grandchildren. For over forty years she enjoyed snowmobiling vacations with her husband Duane in the Rocky Mountains where they made many great friendships. Gayle and Duane relished many great experiences with the children and grandchildren on joint vacations to places like Yellowstone Park, Back Hills, Branson, Las Vegas, Gulf Shores and San Antonio.
Watching her kids and grandkids at their games, matches and meets was always something she enjoyed. She was always there, no matter if it was local games, state championships or national NAIA championships halfway across the country.
Gayle was always there to help out when there was work to do. She would grab a paintbrush to help prepare a nursery, plant flowers to brighten up her kid’s homes, stack wood when finishing a basement and then always whip up great eats to insure everyone was feed. A family get together was never complete without Grandma’s famous chocolate cake with homemade frosting and some of her homemade ice cream.
Fiercely loyal and protective, Gayle put her family and friendships before all else in life. She would go without so that others could have; she would give her last breath before seeing someone she loved suffer. Never would she let someone be at home sick or in the hospital alone, she would drop everything to be there, for the day, week, month or more. And no matter what time of night or early morning, she was available to talk and or listen to ensure you stayed awake. She was a guardian angel to so many, way before she became a real angel.
Gayle was preceded in death by her parents Frank and Katherine Dvorak.
She is survived by her husband Duane Taylor; son Stacy (wife Angela, sons Austin and Connor) Taylor; son Monte (wife Renee, sons Jackson (Abby) and Quintin and daughter Kaelyn) Taylor; daughter Michelle (husband Randy, sons Nolan, Hayden and William and daughter Kathryn) Grint; daughter Janelle (husband Jon, sons Garrett, Wyatt and Grant and daughter Gretchen) Seagren; sister Kay Meier; and brother Richard (Stephanie) Dvorak.
The family will have a private service Saturday morning, Nov. 14 followed by a Celebration of Life open house at Duane and Gayle’s home, 241 South H. Broken Bow, from 11:30 a.m. til 5:30 p.m. Memorials may be sent to the family for Roses at the United Methodist Church in Broken Bow.