Major Theodore W. Taylor, USMC (Ret.) was born 31 August 1934 in Denver, Colorado, into a Marine Corps family, with “Esprit de Corps” that began with his great grandfather.  He remained a devoted advocate of the Corps until his untimely death from a massive heart attack on 24 January 1988 at his home in Placentia, California.   Theodore was buried at the Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California. 

After his early school years in Denver, Ted’s family moved to Washington, DC, where he graduated from Anacostia High School, earning the rank of cadet Colonel while there.  Ted entered the Naval Academy with the class of 1956 in the 18th company, where he continued his competitive swimming and held brigade leadership positions.  His classmates knew Ted, the “Colonel”, would make the U.S. Marine Corps his career upon graduation.  He did just that, specializing as an electronics officer, with assignments that included   Hawaii, Camp Pendleton, the Postgraduate School in Monterey and Vietnam tours in 1965 and 1970.

Ted retired in 1976 and began a second career as a systems engineer with Hughes Aircraft Company, where he remained until his death in 1988.  Theodore married Marcelle (Marci) Eyler, sister of classmate Armand Tise Eyler, at the Academy on 23 March 1957.  Ted and Marci have three children; sons Mark and Dean Taylor and daughter Kathy Taylor Yokel, and three grandchildren.  Marci, Ted’s widow, married Jack Stewart in 1999, and they presently live in Upland, California.