On Friday, June 18, 2010, Eddie Taylor lost his battle with cancer. Eddie was married to my sister, Beth. They have three children, Mason, Blair, and Phillip.
Our friendship began out of rivalry. It was 1985 and Eddie had just started dating Beth. That year Newberry College played Furman, and beat them in the very last few seconds when Eddie kicked a record-setting 52-yard field goal. That was Furman’s only regular-season loss that year, and the defeat rallied them to go all the way to the National Championship (which they lost.)
Eddie was the epitome of service to others. Through coaching and teaching he reached out to many young folks. He coached at two private schools before he and Beth started working with the Boys Home of the South. From there Eddie went into the Methodist ministry, where he pastored Wightman Methodist in Prosperity and finally Grace Methodist in Abbeville. Both churches grew and prospered with Eddie at the helm.
A good man told me that you only have one chance to get it right. Those were the very last words that good man said to me, and Eddie did get it right. To the very end he was more concerned about our well-being than his own pain. His last sermon was preached from his hospital bed. He set the bar high for all of us. If we could only partially live up to his legacy this world would be a much better place.
Beautifully said, Tom. Our brother-in-law was more like a true brother to us, and his absence will be felt intensely by us all.
Thanks Tom – from us all you said it!
Great sentiments and well written. Dad (Houston Taylor Sr.)