David Arthur Taylor

David Arthur Taylor was born on March 6, 1937, in Ashland, Kentucky, the third of four sons, of Arthur Marion Taylor and Doris Alberta Corder (Stevens).   He attended the Ashland schools of Wylie Grade School, Coles Junior High School, and Ashland Senior High School; all within walking distance of his family’s home on Bath Avenue, and graduated in June 1954.  During his period at Ashland Senior High, he participated in the Reserve Officers Training Corps for two years.   Mr. Taylor attended the Centenary Methodist Church.  After High School graduation he served in the US Navy until December 1957, reaching the rank of Second Class Petty Officer, as an Electronics Technician.  After being honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy active duty, he attended the University of Kentucky, graduating in 1962 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering.  After graduation he joined the aerospace company Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin) in Orlando, Florida, as an Associate Engineer, and worked on a number of different missile and research programs, and had reached the grade of Senior Engineer by 1975.  During this period he also completed graduate studies at Rollins College (Winter Park, Florida) in Engineering and Physics.  In 1975 he took a U.S. Civil Service Electronics Engineering position with the Defense Electronics Supply Center (Department of Defense) in Kettering, Ohio, where he developed and supervised qualifications tests on electronic components to be purchased for Defense Department weapons systems and developed and directed an in-house electronics quality control laboratory.  In 1992 he transferred to the Defense Logistics Agency (Department of Defense) at Fort Belvoir, Virginia; as a General Engineer.  After a brief period as a GM-15 in charge of various qualification programs, he retired from the Civil Service in 1998 and was awarded the Distinguished Career Service Metal by the Defense Logistics Agency.  Mr. Taylor was a Life Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Mr. Taylor died on December 5, 2017 in Kettering, Ohio.   He is survived by his brothers Mr. Timothy G. Taylor of Crystal Falls Michigan,  and Mr. Gene H. Taylor of Clearwater, Florida, a sister, Mrs. Judith Lee Johnson of Ocala Florida, and a first cousin, Allan R. Oxley of Lutz, Florida.   Mr. Taylor was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Robert L. Taylor.  

Funeral services will be held 1:00 p.m. Saturday, December 16, 2017 at Steen Funeral Home Central Avenue Chapel with Pastor David Herndon officiating. Inurnment will follow at Rose Hill Burial Park.

Visitation will be after 12:30 p.m. Saturday, at the funeral home.

Condolences may be sent to www.steenfuneralhome.com.
 

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