Terry Taylor

After a short battle with cancer Terry Newman Taylor, 80, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Aug. 6, 2020. To family and friends, Terry was known as Pop, Papa and the K.I.D.

Visitation will be from 1 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 13, at Ward Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m.

A funeral service will be 10:30 a.m., Friday, Aug. 14, at the United Methodist Church, Washington. Pastor Dan Norwood will officiate.

Graveside will be in Washington City Cemetery.

Terry was born at home on May 7, 1940, near Cuero, Texas, to the late Charles Thomas Taylor and Eva Mae White Taylor. He was the youngest of 15 siblings.

At age 17, the Elvis Presley look alike joined the United States Air Force where he served in the Vietnam War. He retired from the Air Force as a Senior Master Sergeant after 21 years of service.

Terry met his wife, Jan, in 1961 at a dance hall in Grunau, Texas. After three dates he proposed, and five months later they were married on Sept. 30, 1961, at Minden, Nev. They enjoyed almost 59 wonderful years of marriage together.

Throughout his tenure in the Air Force, Terry and Jan were stationed in Europe and the United States. After having four children in Germany, they chose to settle in Washington in the late 1970s to care for Jan’s uncle, John McAninch, and raise their family.

Terry retired from the Air Force in August 1978 and began a career in law enforcement with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. He was hired as Undersheriff in December 1978 and was sworn in as the interim sheriff in June 1982. He then served as the elected county sheriff until 1989.

On May 1, 1989, he was sworn in as the magistrate judge for Washington County. He served on the bench for 17 years before retiring on Dec. 30, 2006.

In further service to his community, Terry served as a member of his local Lions Club, Masonic Lodge, VFW and was an active member of the United Methodist Church.

Throughout his life, Terry loved dancing, watching football, playing pinochle, listening to country music, traveling, and watching westerns. But his most cherished past-time was watching his children and grandchildren perform and compete. He and Jan spent countless hours crisscrossing the nation to cheer them on in their pursuits. When he wasn’t traveling to visit family, he spent time drawing and spoiling any animal he could find.

Terry is survived by his wife and lifelong dance partner, Jan; their four children: Theresa (Dana) Herrs, of Washington, Blake (Trudy) Taylor, of Wichita, Elayne (Matt) Prechtel, of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Dwayne Taylor, of Hutchinson; his sister Bobbie (Philip) Unruh, of Houston, Texas; sisters-in-law, Lillian Taylor and Gladys Taylor, of Victoria, Texas, numerous nieces and nephews; and their treasured 10 grandchildren: the late Tyler, Elizabeth, Paiten, Brett, Parker, Ashten, Avery, Aiden, Paxten, and Palmer; their four great-grandchildren: Eli, Katherine, Leighton, Hudson; and three honorary grandchildren, Jenna Murphy, of Holbert, Okla., Heath Whitaker, of Barnes, and Daniel Giesselmann, of Germany.

Terry led a life well lived. A life full of family, patience, humility, and service.

Now he is at rest and his family will hold him close within their hearts, finding comfort in knowing that he will continue cheering them on from the best seat in the house.