Billy Taylor, Sheboygan, WI died peacefully Friday January 18, 2019 at Sharon S. Richardson Hospice after a nearly 14-month fight against mesothelioma.
Billy was born on July 29, 1950 in Manitowoc, WI, son of William and Eleanor Kerchefske Taylor. He attended schools in Manitowoc and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1969. On October 26, 1973 at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, Manitowoc he married Irene Mary Behrendt. This past October the couple celebrated their 45
th
anniversary. Following his graduation, he worked at Taylor Trucking, Inc. In 1975 he became part owner of the company and in 1985 the company expanded to include Taylor Ready Mix. He also had his own trucks (WLT Trucking) which were leased to Taylor Trucking. In 2009 he sold his shares in Taylor Trucking and all but one of his trucks and continued driving until November 27,2017 when he was diagnosed with cancer. He was a long-time member of Farmers and Sportsmen Conservation Club, Riverside Rifle and Pistol Club, American Truck Historical Society and the Fairlane Club of America. He enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, his Mack truck, shooting trap, skeet and sporting clays, pheasant hunting in North and South Dakota, fishing in Canada, elk hunting trips to Colorado, and taking his 1969 Ford Fairlane 428 Cobra Jet to car shows.
He is survived by his wife Irene, his daughter Jennifer (Jamie) Gozdowiak and their sons Jack and Jay, Germantown, Annie Taylor (Jon) Antone and their son Taylor, Middleton and Amanda Taylor (Alex) Jaeger and their daughter Margaret of Sheboygan. He is also survived by his in-laws Mary (Jon) Zboralski, Paul Behrendt, Jane Solkowski and Mark Behrendt, Manitowoc, Peter Behrendt of Madison and close friend Sandra Kuka of Sheboygan, his mother Eleanor Taylor, brother James (Cheryl) Taylor, sister Sue (Steven) Sieracki of Manitowoc, and Lisa (James) Boerner of Sheboygan. Nieces, nephews, other relatives and personal friends also survive. He was preceded in death by his father, mother and father in-law Margaret and Melvin Behrendt, brother-in-law John Solkowski and his brother from another mother, John Kuka.
A Memorial Service will be held at 4:00PM on Sunday, January 27, 2019 at Zimmer Westview Funeral and Cremation Care Center, W2132 Garton Rd (Hwy 42 & JJ) in Sheboygan. Father Gideon Buya will officiate. The family will receive visitors at the funeral home on Sunday from 1:00 – 4:00PM.
In lieu of flowers memorials to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic or Sharon S. Richardson Hospice would be appreciated.
The family would like to thank Dr. Hedy Kindler and staff at the University of Chicago, Dr. Bruce Gerschenhorn and staff at the Cancer Treatment Center of America in Zion, IL, Dr. Cheruppolil Santhosh-Kumar and Dr. Mitchell Pincus and staff of Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic, Sheboygan, Dr. Hani Alboushi, Aurora Sheboygan Clinic, Aurora at Home and the staff of Sharon S. Richardson Hospice.
