Charles (Chuck) Marshall Taylor III, 78, died at home Sunday, Sept. 22 in Deltaville after a battle with cancer. His family was at his side.
Chuck was born in Richmond to Emily Evans Taylor and Charles (Charlie) M. Taylor Jr. He graduated from St. Christopher’s School in 1964, earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering at the University of Virginia (UVa) in 1969, and his master’s degree in business administration from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Chuck met the love of his life, Stuart Hawthorne, in Richmond and they married in August 1966. Chuck and Stuart raised their children, Chad and Logan, to be explorers and fearless travelers.
After UVa, Chuck accepted a commission in the United States Army Corps of Engineers, completing his branch officer training at Fort Belvoir. He trained as a helicopter pilot at Fort Walters, Texas, and Fort Rucker, Ala., before being deployed to Vietnam, where he flew light observation missions in the OH-58 Jet Ranger and troop-transport missions in the UH-1 “Huey,” under the callsign “Colt 44”. He flew in the 45th Engineer Group, based in Da Nang, and in the 35th Engineer Brigade out of Cam Ranh Bay and Dong Ba Thin.
Chuck was one of only two of his flight school classmates to return from Vietnam alive. Chuck continued to fly helicopters in the Virginia Army National Guard, separating with the rank of captain in 1978.
Chuck’s first job as a civil engineer was at Hankins & Anderson in Richmond, later he joined Concrete Pipe & Products Company (Hanson), where he made his career. He relocated his family from Richmond to Sacramento, Calif., where he oversaw the company’s new division of concrete product manufacturing plants. He and Stuart later relocated to Dallas, Texas, and eventually back to Virginia, where he retired as vice president of Sales and Technical Services. Chuck and Stuart settled in Deltaville, on the Chesapeake Bay, where they both had spent much of their youth.
Chuck was an avid cyclist, kayaker, master scuba diver, and experienced sailor. He and Stuart and their dog Sophie made multiple journeys to Mexico, Belize, New England, and the Bahamas in their sailboat, S/V Long Gone. They made countless friends along the way. In his retirement, Chuck taught himself to sew, making tote bags and other beautiful items out of retired sails and cordage.
Chuck is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Stuart Hawthorne Taylor of Deltaville; son, Chad Taylor of Richmond; daughter, Logan Taylor Tymoff (Michael); and grandchildren, Hudson Taylor Kemper and Dahlia Tymoff of Marin County, Calif. He is also survived by his loving sister, Minerva Taylor of East Hampton, N.Y.; sister-in-law, Peel Hawthorne (Cindi) of Williamsburg; and brother-in-law, Dean Hawthorne (Judy) of Richmond.
The family extends love and gratitude to neighbors, friends and hospice staff who provided comfort, companionship, and care to all of them as Chuck transitioned from his extraordinary life.
It is impossible to summarize adequately the life of such a funny, hard-working, loving, and intelligent man as Chuck Taylor. Many will miss him and his bawdy sense of humor, his colorful limericks, his subject matter expertise on all things mechanical and nautical, and his passion for the Virginia Cavaliers. The wind was always at his back, Colt 44, out.
Memorial gatherings in Deltaville and Richmond will be announced later.
Donations in Chuck’s memory may be made to Riverside Hospice — Walter Reed Hospital, 7858 Main St., Gloucester, VA 23061; or to Deltaville Maritime Museum (DeltavilleMuseum.com).
