Herbert Taylor

Herbert Delano Taylor of Lethbridge, Alberta, at the age of 87 went home to be with the Lord on November 15, 2020 surrounded by his family at Good Samaritan (Park Meadows) after a lengthy battle with dementia. 

He leaves to cherish his memory, his son, Herb (Crystal), his daughter Terri (Ron). He had a special place in his heart for his grandchildren: Duncan (Misty), Colleen (Chris), Herb (Cheryl), Zach (Kim), Kim (Andreas),  Jordan (Jodi), Joshua (Sarah) as well as his 16 great-grandchildren: Carston, Cailey, Chendra, Herbert Ethan, Parker, Damon, Madison, Aiden, Atwood, Lucy, Saylor, Asa, Clover, Kai, Leonora and Emily. He is also survived by a younger brother Garland.

Dad was predeceased by his loving wife Shirley of 57 years, his daughter Deborah, his parents Harold and Ida Taylor, and siblings Cecil, Jean, Freda and Russel.

Dad was born in Detroit, Michigan on March 2, 1933. At the age of 5 his family moved to Parry Sound, Ontario. He began his career as a Merchant Marine on the Great Lakes and later joined the Canadian Armed Forces where he served for 25 years as a professional soldier. Dad served as a peacekeeper in Korea, Japan, Germany, Cyprus, Egypt, Norway and England. He was decorated many times including a medal from the Korean Consulate General. 

It was during the early years in the Armed Forces where Dad met mom on a blind date in Montreal. They were married on November 19, 1953. As members of the Canadian Armed Forces, Dad, mom, and their three children lived in a variety of locations including the Maritimes, Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and Germany. Mom became a Christian when dad was peacekeeping in Cyprus. When he returned home, Dad also asked Jesus into his heart. Dad attended three Promise Keeper events and his faith grew. Three years ago, on a visit to Red Deer, Dad wanted to rededicate his life to Christ knowing that his time on earth was nearing the end. The decision Mom and Dad made to follow Christ changed the course of their lives and the lives of their children.

Dad was very outgoing and loved meeting with people. He was involved for many years at the Royal Canadian Legion (General Stewart Branch).  Dad served as the Sergeant at Arms for eight years. He went to many funerals and special events for veterans to show his support. When Dad was younger he was a junior hockey player and also coached hockey when son Herbie was a young boy. Speaking of hockey, Dad was a diehard Toronto Maple Leaf fan but eventually moved his allegiance and cheered for the Calgary Flames. We always knew when hockey was on as Dad would be sitting on the edge of his chair yelling at the TV. Dad was an affectionate, loving father and loved his children well. He greeted everyone he met with a strong handshake that he had till the end. Many remember Dad’s loud laugh and how he brought joy to any group he was in.

We will always remember the many wonderful times we had with Dad wherever we went, whether it was Tim Hortons, or a trip to the east coast. Dad made it an adventure! We all love you Dad, and we are definitely going to miss you!

A private family service will be held at 2:00pm, on Friday, November 20, 2020. The service will be live streamed and accessed via Herbert’s obituary on the Martin Brothers website https://www.mbfunerals.com/.

Cremation has been entrusted to Martin Brothers Funeral Chapels.

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