John Stone

Rogers passing really hit me hard I didn't see Roger much these past few years but when I did he was always a great friend we both worked at the sheriffs office although we didn't see each other much there. I have always considered Roger a great friend and I will miss him dearly.

Roger and I also played football together at Olympus and I will always remember a story involving a coach Udy and Roger. RIP Roger.

Ronald Scott

Roger’s football portrait junior year  reveals all you need to know about his personality. Like Dennis and John and a lot of other guys, I played football with Roger. To be clear, Roger and Denny and John played a lot while  I thought a lot about playing from the comparative safety of the bench. Roger was a much better than average athlete and, as Dwight and Chris confirmed, a friendly guy to boot; a real character.

The other day, Jim Wright and I were talking -- laughing actually-- about Roger’s penchant for totaling rather spiffy new cars and surviving, his love for life, and his personal health challenges over the past 15 years.

Junior year memories of Roger and basketball stand-out in my mind.  Roger had played sophomore basketball and done well.  A year later, He was part of a small group of juniors who made it to the final tryout round before being cut by Coach Ken Farrell who, perhaps anticipating (incorrectly, as it turned out) losing half the class to Skyline, loaded-up the Junior Varsity team with sophomores.  There was anger and long faces all around, and soon a “Cutters Team” was formed (as I recall it included Roger, Jim Whitley, Ritchie McIllece, John Buchberger, Reid Hemming,  Buzz Fenton, Vic Jenkins, Mark Theodore? and a few others).  All were determined to take on the official JV squad and grind them into the hardwoods.  More importantly, our real target was the short-sighted Coach Farrell. A game finally got scheduled with the JV team. But, it  got summarily cancelled when someone got wind of what we were up to.  We would have prevailed, trust me on that!

Nevertheless, our pickup games in one neighborhood church gym or another were always fierce and fun.  Of course, Roger was at the center of the “fun” stuff. We were all bent on proving we could dunk the ball.  None of us could jump worth a damn. We couldn't leap high enough except when we got an extra boost by taking off from the seat of a folding chair.  I still have visions of Roger racing to the chair and, without breaking stride, leaping onto its seat launching himself like flying trapeze artist high above the rim, slamming the ball through the hoop as the destroyed chair collapsed on the floor beneath him.  And, he lived to laugh about it.

Fly on Roger.  And, high!

David Paulsen

Roger lived up the street from me about 5 houses or so.  We hung out a lot together as kids.  I'll always remember him putting V8's in those Austin Healys and blasting off.  He would alway give me a ride in his latest version, scared the crap out of me.  At one time he had a Very Loud motorcycle and You could hear him blasting up Millcreek Way late at night (I was always jealous of that).    Those were the days my friend.  RIP.

Marcus (Mark) Theodore

Roger,

        We'll miss you.  Now maybe I'll get to play.  Mark Theoodre

Ted Holmberg

I'm so sorry to hear of Roger's passing. We we were good friends. I hired Roger to do some painting for me several times when I was with the bank. We would have a good time talking old times. He always had a great smile and  friendly to everyone. My favorite fun memory is when he was a county deputy. My home alarm would go off for some unknown reason over several years time and it was always Roger that came to check it out! We had the greatest laughs over it but it gave us a chance to renew our friendship and it always made me feel more comforable to know he would be there if the real thing ever happened. I knew he wasn't in the best of health lately. I'm sorry for his passing and I will miss him as friend and classmate.

Craig Wilkinson

If you look back at those "Happy Days" at Olympus High 1963, Roger Taylor was the All American kid. Handsome, great athlete, good student and citizen, fun and friendly.  Roger didn't have an enemy in the world and if he wasn't your friend it was your fault, not his. We will all miss him greatly. Craig Wilkinson

Janet Bateman (Adam)

Though we didn't see much of each other, we spent hours on the phone.  He made the trip to Las Vegas to work on my house in exchange for a painting of horses by the lake.  The wonderful stories we shared of each of our families and of the years we spent growing up together as friends will always be special to me.  there were so many exciting stories about his work that bring a smile.  Roger will truly be missed, Janet Bateman Adam

Lamont Heaps (Skyline)

His unique smile. But the day will come when I am beckoned home​Roger was a good friend for a number of years. He had a particular "character" about him. He was by nature a positive person. I never heard him put someone down just to enhace his own persona. We worked together during the summer between our junior and senior year in high school. When we saw each other and talked a bit, then he immediately told me that he would start picking me up for work, and so he did the very next day. He drove a little sports car and we always got to work at the State Capitol "QUICKLY". I lived in the canyon rim area. We worked on the grounds crew and made $199.00 a month. After school began I didn't see him again 'till we ran into each other at the Sheriffs Office up town. He was working I.D. and I was a booking officer in the jail and a reserve deputy for the county as well. He took me up stairs, and I became well aquainted with "death" and the weapons board that attested to the deaths whose life they had taken. I will miss him and I some how feel when I hear my clarion call to come home he won't be far away.........sweet reunion. Rest well my trusted friend!

Lamont Heaps / loyal friend and fellow deputy   

Ronald Scott

PLEASE NOTE: The words below come from Tim Howells, who spoke at Roger Taylor's funeral a while back. Laura Hawkins Wagstaff attended the funeral and reported that Tim's tribute to Roger was quite moving and candid.  I asked Tim convert his notes into the transcript that follows.  Thank you Tim.  RBS

By Tim Howells

"This is a description of the Roger Taylor I knew.  Because I know he would not be pleased with a sugar-coated recollection, I will include some observations that might not be considered flattering. 

"Roger was a great friend to all.  He didn't have an ounce of discrimination in his being.  I first met him in high school.  He would say, 'let’s go get the guys.'  I had never met some of the “guys” and I don’t think I was unique in that respect.  Rog would get his dad’s Chevy station wagon and round up anyone who was available.  It didn’t matter that many of us had very little in common.  He was very inclusive.

Being considerate and caring was part of Rog’s DNA.  Notwithstanding his extremely poor health, he would always ask me how my 4-year-old grandson was doing in his battle with cancer.  He not only asked but was deeply concerned despite his challenges.  That concern included anyone we discussed who was struggling.

I’ve never known anyone to work harder than Roger.  He didn’t know what down time was.  He was driven, and had extremely high energy.

The Roger I knew was very stubborn.  He did a lot of things the hard way, and he knew it.  But as the song lyric goes, he did it his way.  Roger was one of many high school friends who signed up for the Army National Guard while we were still in high school.  We departed for basic training two days after graduation.  In the Army, at all breaks during drills we were told, “smoke’m if you got’m”.   Rog would stand there while almost all of us lit up.  About a month after we returned home from basic training I ran into Rog and he was smoking, and did so the remainder of his life.  I was incredulous.  I do regret riding him continuously for years about it in attempt to get him to stop.

"There wasn’t anything Roger wouldn’t do for people.  A wonderful quality he possessed was selflessness in that regard.

"Rog was impetuous, to the extreme.  One way it was manifested was with cars.  Roger loved cars for as long as I’ve known him.  Often, being able to afford them wasn’t an issue.  A quote on our high school website by David Paulsen summed it up well.

Roger lived up the street from me about 5 houses or so.  We hung out a lot together as kids.  I'll always remember him putting V8's in those Austin Healys and blasting off.  He would alway give me a ride in his latest version, scared the crap out of me.  At one time he had a Very Loud motorcycle and You could hear him blasting up Millcreek Way late at night (I was always jealous of that).  

"Rog’s last car purchase is the best illustration of his utter lack of self-control when it came to cars.  However, it is also reveals of his great indomitable spirit.  About two months before his passing he took Dick Kasteler to a used car dealer from whom Rog had purchased many cars.  Dick needed a car and Rog was thinking of selling his truck because he didn’t think he would be able to drive any more. 

"Roger returned home with a BMW convertible sports car.  He shared with me how he would pull up to a stop light next to girls who were looking at the car but not paying immediate attention to the driver.  When he looked at them he said the look on their faces changed noticeably when they saw an old man with oxygen tubes in his nose.  He then indicated that he wasn’t terribly disappointed because the only available seat in the car was occupied by his oxygen tank.

"Roger was a far better person than he realized.  Occasionally we talked about life after death.  I assured him that his wonderful qualities far outweighed those he thought would hold him back."

Pamela Zacher (Hill -John)