- A Wise Choice Cremation & Funeral Services | Mesa, AZ - https://www.awisechoiceaz.com -

Taylor, Jack J.

Taylor, Jack J.

Jack Taylor, 90, Professor Emeritus of the School of Art at Arizona State University, died May 12th, 2015.
He was born in Reading, Pennsylvania to Mark and Catherine Taylor and graduated from Reading High School. His degrees in Art Education are from Kutztown State Teachers College, now Kutztown University, and Pennsylvania State University.

He taught for 41 years at all academic levels, including K through 12, teaching and supervising in the public schools. He taught at Westminster College, Pennsylvania, the University of New Mexico and from 1960 to 1990 at Arizona State University where he was a Full Professor.

In WW II, he was in the Signal Corps, 88th Signal Battalion Special, three years, serving in the South Pacific, the Philippines, and Japan.

Dr. Taylor was a well known dynamic teacher and public speaker. He served fifteen years as head of art education where he guided and was responsible for the doctoral program from 1965 until his retirement in 1990. His students were always his first professional concern. Additionally, Jack was an art education curriculum consultant and evaluator to the Arizona State Department of Public Instruction and to many public and private school districts. As a speaker he appeared frequently at local, regional and national conferences while continuing to speak to many university audiences.

He was a bibliophile who admired and respected scholarly writing. He spent many hours writing poetry and listening to classical music. Jack was a true academic and loved by all who knew him. After retirement, he designed and helped to build an art studio where he worked daily and created a series of continuous related drawings, all dated, in black and white and in color numbering nearly three thousand. His art work has been exhibited in local, regional and national shows. Jack was an artist in every sense of the word.

Jack’s love of family was unbroken and very special to him. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Jacqueline Lytle Taylor, daughters, Jill Flood, M.D and friend Art., Gay Wentzel and husband Mike, and Jan Taylor Young and husband Rob; five grandchildren, Robert McCullough and wife Cathy, Brandy Drewry and husband Guy, Nathan Wentzel and wife Mandee, Brian Wentzel and wife Shelly, Taylor Howard Foley and husband Chase, puppy Dex; 4 great-grandchildren, Connor Shade, Ethan Wentzel, Samuel Drewry, and Emma Wentzel.

Jack Taylor was a Secular Humanist who believed in people.
Private services will be held at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hospice of the Valley, Eckstein Center.