Marilyn Miller Taylor

Rev. Dr. Marilyn R. Taylor of Lynchburg, Virginia died May 26th at The Summit Health & Rehabilitation Center in Lynchburg. She was born in Mansfield, Ohio to Ira David and Mildred Newlon Miller. She graduated from Hiram College in Ohio and received two degrees Master of Religious Education and Doctor of Ministry -from Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington, Kentucky.

For sixteen years in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia, she served as a director and teacher in pre-school education, including Head Start. In 1979 she was Ordained to the Christian ministry and in 1980 was called as associate minister of First Christian Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In 1987 she moved to Lynchburg, where she became associate regional minister for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Virginia. She served in that position for more than fifteen years.

She was a life-long member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and in Lynchburg belonged to First Christian Church. She had an active life in congregational and general church leadership, as well as regional ministry. At First Christian she served in various positions, including chair of the elders and chair of the congregation. In the general church, for two years she served as president of Church Women’s Staff Fellowship, and for thirty years was on the International Christian Women’s Fellowship cabinet. In ecumenical circles she served eight years as a commissioner for the Commission on Religion in Appalachia. For long vears she was on the board of Christmount Christian Assembly in Black Mountain, North Carolina and chaired the program and nominating committees.

In the communities where she lived, she volunteered in ministries of hunger and poverty, Hospice bereavement, hospitality, and children’s programs.

She enjoyed being a liturgical dancer, watching beautiful sky formations, playing board games with her family, especially the grandchildren, walking outdoors, all theater but especially musicals, all opportunities to be with friends and to meet new people, and the annual family gathering at Sunset Beach, North Carolina, where she celebrated her birthday with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She considered herself richly blessed to be a mother and a minister. She always gave thanks for God’s wonderful gifts of life and love.

Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her only sister, Janet Sheldon of Floyd, Virginia, and her son-in-law, Rev. Bennett Gerardy. Her survivors include a daughter, Mary Gerardy of Selma, North Carolina; three sons, Steven, Mark, and James Taylor, all in the Philadelphia area; two daughters-in-law, Debra Taylor and Brenda Perkins; seven grandchildren, Jordan Beil, Jenna Kostka, Peter Taylor, Trevor Taylor, Corinne Case, lan Perkins-Taylor, Colin Perkins-Taylor; twelve great grandchildren, Ellianna, Verity, Joshua, Grace, Luke, Caleb, Ezra, Cora, Isaac, Liza, Oliver, and Lincoln; a brother, David Miller of Hollywood, Florida; four nephews; and many friends. A Celebration of Life will be held at First Christian Church at a later date. Tharp Funeral Home and Crematory, Lynchburg is assisting the family.