After dedicating over half of his life to bettering the community, former Owensboro mayor and community leader C. Waitman Taylor, 91, died Friday afternoon.
A member of the U.S. Air Force, Taylor served his country until he retired from the Air Force Reserve as a captain in 1966. He then began a 59-year career that spanned many prominent Owensboro businesses including 24 years with General Electric, 16 years with Texas Gas, eight years with Industry, Inc. and 11 years with Owensboro Health.
Taylor was elected Mayor of Owensboro, a position he held from 1972-1976, after serving as Mayor Pro-Tem for two years. During Taylor’s term as mayor, with the help of the four city commissioners, he played a role in ensuring the construction, renovation or building of over 25 different projects that were vital to the development of Owensboro as it is known today.
Some of those many projects include providing ground and $3,000 for the Korean and Vietnam war memorial, the acquisition of Peter B. English Park from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, purchasing land for Thompson-Berry Park, the restoration of Trinity Church, the building of the Cravens and Chautauqua Park pools, the building of Fire Station No. 1 and the construction of The Walter Freeman firefighting training facility.
One of the many building projects that was completed during Taylor’s term as mayor was the completion of the “new” City Hall, a building that would later be dedicated to and renamed after Taylor in October 1991.
“His hand was in everything, but he never wanted the credit. But he was always the reason things got done,” said long-time friend Kirk Kirkpatrick, who served as the Owensboro Chamber of Commerce Rooster Booster emcee for 37 years.
Kirkpatrick has kept in touch with Taylor, calling him just yesterday to check on his health. Kirkpatrick was not able to say goodbye before Taylor passed Friday. But according to Kirkpatrick, Taylor had a long, inspirational life.
“There’s nobody else in his league,” Kirkpatrick said, comparing his friend’s impact on Owensboro to that of George Bailey’s in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
“The lives he touched, the businesses he helped, the city he remade, the inspiration he gave to so many people… what a difference he made,” Kirkpatrick said.
Kirkpatrick’s first memory of Taylor was during the initial days of Rooster Booster in 1977. Kirkpatrick, tapped to emcee the monthly event from its inception, said he was by far the youngest in the room and nervous about the job. Taylor recognized Kirkpatrick’s apprehension and wrote him a note, encouraging the young leader to persevere and invest in the community.
“I still remember that note 45 years later,” Kirkpatrick said.
The Owensboro community perhaps best remembers the relationship between Kirkpatrick and Taylor at Rooster Booster events in which Kirkpatrick had a long-running gag about Taylor’s age.
“People would always ask me, ‘does he get upset?’ Kirkpatrick said. The answer was no. In fact, Taylor would call Kirkpatrick days before the monthly Rooster Booster event and suggest a new joke.
Taylor’s commitment to the Owensboro Chamber of Commerce was recognized 2013 when he was named Chamber Member of the Century in conjunction with the Chamber’s 100th birthday.
His dedication to community and fundraising activities was reflected in his service in a variety of leadership positions at the United Way, Owensboro-Daviess County Industrial Foundation, Junior Achievement, Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport and Industry Inc., now known as Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corp. Waitman was the co-founder and chairman of Community Foundation of Owensboro-Daviess County.
In 2013, upon retiring as Executive Director of Owensboro Health’s Foundation for Health, C. Waitman Taylor was recognized by Representative Brett Guthrie in front of the Kentucky House of Representatives for a “distinguished career” that was “truly one to be acknowledged.”
“It has been a true pleasure working with Waitman,” Guthrie said during that ceremony. “I join the people of Kentucky’s Second District in thanking him for his contributions.”
Senator Mitch McConnell released the following statement about Taylor’s passing.
“The passing of my friend, C. Waitman Taylor, brought to a close a remarkable life of service and philanthropy. A man of deep faith, Waitman committed himself to improving the lives of others in his community, and there are so many who have benefited from his success. A number of Owensboro’s great institutions stand as lasting testaments to his leadership. While we celebrate the life of this inspirational man, let us all, once again, express our gratitude for his vision and his compassion. Elaine and I send our sincere condolences to Waitman’s wife, Patricia, his children, and all those who loved him.”
The funeral service for Mr. Taylor will be 11 a.m. Monday at First Presbyterian Church. Private burial will be in the family cemetery on his farm in Hancock County. Visitation will be from 12 p.m. until 7 p.m. Sunday at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory.
