Born March 18, 1961Kalamazoo, MichiganDied March 10, 2025Norwich, VermontDetails of servicesThe family will hold a celebration of life this coming summer.In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA) at 912 Killian Hill Road SW Suite 105 L ilburn, GA 30047 or www.lbda.org. Born on March 18, 1961, in Michigan, Edward (Ed) Taylor was a devoted husband, father and a man of sharp intellect and quiet passions. His presence was often marked by his unmistakable chuckle, and even if no one else was laughing, he never failed to laugh at his own jokes. This warmth and humor made him a wonderful partner, friend and a joy to be around in any room. Ed grew up with his parents Edward and Virginia Taylor and brother Rob Taylor on a small farm in Massachusetts.It was at the University of Michigan, during his postdoctoral years, that he met Petra — the woman who captured his heart and, with some gentle persuasion, chose to stay in the U.S. with him rather than return home to Germany. Their love story was built on adventure and curiosity, often involving coffee and good food. They shared many traditions like waking up at 6 a.m. on Saturday mornings to share a latte and a blueberry muffin over the newspaper at Sweetwaters, Ed’s favorite coffee shop in Ann Arbor. They soon welcomed their first child, Alexander who came into this world fascinated with lighting — a passion that grew explosively over the years, transforming into a profoundly creative artistry of painting with light and that Ed recognized early on.Ed had a sharp appreciation for dry humor, a trait best reflected in his love for Seinfeld, a show the family often watched together. To his wife’s dismay, she eventually discovered that their second child’s name, Elaine — enthusiastically suggested by Ed — was inspired by none other than Elaine Benes. He had also managed to convince his children that George Costanza’s character was, in fact, based on him — a claim that, given Ed’s wit and antics, was entirely believable.Ed had several passions, but skiing and farming were his two greatest. The first he obsessed over, constantly trying to perfect his form, often asking his wife, children and random passerbyers to critique it. Farming was the second. It was a desire to have a small farm that drew the family to rural Norwich, Vermont where he cleared 10 acres of land, put up a fence, and raised two cows. His desire to grow good hay left him often consulting Alexander — his own in-house chemistry advisor — on nutrient balances and soil amendments.Music and sports were a quiet but constant force in his life. He found solace in the alternative echoes of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Starting with XM Radio’s “Fred on 44” to Grooveshark to Pandora to YouTube, he sought out the deep tracks of his favorite artists. And many evenings he enjoyed a ritual watching of Pardon the Interruption on ESPN — which he affectionately called “his boys yapping.” Raised on a farm, he came from a lineage of determined strength. His mother, the daughter of an Armenian genocide survivor, was a mathematician and an unwavering force of love and stability. His father, a chemist, showed him — in his words — that one could make a small fortune in farming, by starting with a large one. With his brother Rob he shared a passion for farming which started on their father’s farm and continued into their adult years. And his grandmother, Grandma Ann, filled his childhood with warmth and the scent of freshly baked pies. Perhaps that’s why, as an adult, he found comfort in pumpkin pie — lovingly made for him each weekend by Petra.Ed spent his career as a mathematics professor, including rotations with the National Science Foundation. As a mathematician, patterns made sense to him in a way the world sometimes did not. So, when Lewy body dementia and eventually Parkinson’s began to unravel the very logic he held dear, it was a particularly cruel twist of fate. Ed passed away on March 10, 2025, at his home in Norwich, Vermont, with family by his side. He is survived by his devoted wife Petra, his son Alex, his daughter Elaine, his brother Rob and nephews and nieces. They will remember his distinct laugh, his creative mind, and the way he sought beauty in music, mountains, hay fields and humor. In his final years, Ed was surrounded by extraordinary care and compassion. Melissa, Lori, Kristi, Barbara, Dottie and first and foremost, Petra, all cared for him with kindness and dignity. The family is deeply grateful to the team at Bayada Hospice, Dr. Cullinan and Dr. Stark at DHMC, the Norwich first responders, and the entire neighborhood of caring and loving friends who wrapped them in love and support.Ed was many things — complex, brilliant, loving, fun. He was a man whose presence could be felt in a well-written email, a belly laugh that filled the room or in the chords of an old song playing on the radio. The family will hold a celebration of life sometime this coming summer likely in a hay field or at the base of a hill.In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA) at 912 Killian Hill Road SW Suite 105 Lilburn, GA 30047 or www.lbda.org. Read the story on VTDigger here: Edward Taylor. ...read more read less