James Dean "Jim" Taylor passed away at his cherished retirement camp on the Little Kanawha River on Friday, October 10, 2008. He led a rich, full life and he is held fondly in the memories of friends and family.

Jim grew up on Charleston's west side on Chandler Drive, and graduated from Stonewall Jackson High School. He continued his schooling after serving in the Marine Corps, graduating with a baccalaureate degree in education from West Virginia State College and a master's degree in special education from Marshall University, while teaching at Pt. Pleasant High School.

Jim was a gifted and devoted educator and teaching was his life's work. His teaching style was equal parts discipline, precision, and wit. He found talented students and pushed them harder. He found struggling students and gave them a helping hand. For him, humor was a powerful instrument to motivate and inspire. His spirit lives on in his students.

A proud former Marine, Jim loved and served his country. He was among the cadre of Marines to serve in post-War Okinawa. While there, Jim helped build the swimming pool at Kadena Air Base, creating a legacy appreciated by innumerable airmen and marines to this day.

Jim held a second degree black belt in Judo, a sport he learned from masters in Japan, and from which he gathered honors as a student and a coach. He competed as a college swimmer at West Virginia State. He was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying the hills, rivers, and sunsets of West Virginia.

Jim never met a stranger. He was a lively and generous friend, inclined to talk, quick with a joke, and unselfish with his time. He was without guile: the genuine article and strongly allergic to airs. Lean childhood years left him with an appreciation of what he had, yet his hand was always open to those in need. He was an independent man and his judgments of others were strong on first impressions – and he himself always made an impression. His spirit lives on in his friends.

Jim was a dedicated community leader. Among his proudest achievements was promoting a program that today enables many teachers to donate sick time to colleagues in need, an effort he led while serving as president of the Mason County Teachers' Association. Jim was an energetic leader and member of the Jaycees and regularly contributed to community programs such as Secret Santa and the Special Olympics. His spirit lives on in the lives of those he led, inspired, and helped.

Jim loved and was loved by his family. He is survived by his daughters Allison Taylor Hewitt and Jennifer Paige Taylor and their mother, Lynda Taylor; his longtime companion Patricia "Patty" Lee and her daughters Mala Bumgardner and Kyla Carpenter and their children, who he loved as his own. He loved and was proud of his sons-in-law, Mark Hewitt and Jimmy Carpenter.

Friends can visit Jim and his loved ones from 2-4 pm Saturday at Crow-Hussell Funeral Home in Pt. Pleasant; the graveside service will be a private affair. The family requests your presence at the Iron Gate Grille, at 5:00 p.m., Saturday, to celebrate Jim's life. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jim's memory to the Mason County Career Center (Vocational School).

Jim's care has been entrusted to Crow-Hussell Funeral Home, Point Pleasant. An online guest registry is available at www.crowhussellfh.com