Robert William Taylor

Robert Taylor, age 88 of Northfield and formerly of Hillside, IL, passed away Monday, February 15, 2010 at the Reflections Unit of the Three Links Care Center in Northfield. Funeral Services will be 1:00 pm Tuesday, February 23rd at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Northfield with burial at Mount Emblem Cemetery in Chicago. Visitation will be Tuesday 1 hour prior to Services at the Church.

Robert William Taylor was born April 11, 1921 in Minneapolis, MN, son of Joseph and Dorothy (Ames) Taylor. His father taught agriculture and their family moved often to where Joe was teaching. Bob graduated from Chillicothe High School in 1939, then attended University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and was in the ROTC program. Bob joined the Army Corp of Engineers in 1942 and was stationed in Belgium and France until discharged in 1944.

At the end of the War he returned to Champaign-Urbana and graduated with a degree in electrical engineering. In 1947 he began work at Commonwealth Edison Company in Chicago as an electrical engineer, in charge of design and layout of transmission lines. On October 20, 1956 he was united in marriage to Merle M. Rabe in Maywood, IL. Bob continued with Commonwealth Edison his entire working career, retiring in 1986. The next few years Bob provided home care for his wife Merle, until her death February 18, 1989.

Bob was an avid collector of stamps as a child and also enjoyed summer camping vacations with his family to Colorado which began a life-long interest in visiting National Parks. In retirement he enjoyed traveling to the western National Parks with Laura, Steve and the 4 boys and the eastern National Parks with Nancy, Scott and the 2 girls. He was a Civil War buff and traveled to many historic sites and battlefields. He also enjoyed reading, train museums, and hiking in the National Parks and mountains. His children and grandchildren were very special to him; he valued time spent with them and treasured the opportunity to share with them.

Robert Taylor is survived by daughters Laura (Stephen) Gilligan of Northfield, Nancy (Scott) Hascher of Cincinnati, OH; brother Donald Taylor of Barrington, IL; brother-in-law Dick Burck of Indianapolis, IN; and by grandchildren Joseph, Christopher, Jonathan, and Sean Gilligan, Melissa and Emily Hascher. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife Merle; sisters Dorothy Jean Taylor, Marjorie Ross, and Karen Burck.

Funeral arrangements by the Bierman Funeral Home of Northfield.