Ronald L. Taylor

Ronald LeRoy Taylor, 77, of Eau Claire passed away on Friday, December 9 at Hanson Hospice Center while surrounded in love by his wife, sons, daugthers-in-law, and grandchildren. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 A.M. on Monday, December 12, 2016 at St. Johns Catholic Church, 600 Columbus Ave., Benton Harbor, MI, with Father Brian Stanley officiating. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery. Friends may visit with the family on Sunday, December 11, 2016, from 2:00 P.M. until 5:00 P.M. with a Rosary recited  at 4:30 P.M. at Starks & Menchinger Chapel & Cremation Services, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. Memorial contributions may be made to Hesston Steam Museum or Hanson Hospice Center. Those wishing to leave an online condolence may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Ron was born March 10, 1939 in St. Joseph to John and Marjorie Taylor and lived the majority of his life in Sodus. Ron joined Carol Hartman in marriage on October 17, 1959 at St. John’s Catholic church, and they remained devoted to each other for 57 years. He worked as a tool and die specialist and retired from Gast Manufacturing in 2007. Besides his wife and family, Ron’s love in life was trains. He meticulously built over many years a scaled working replica of a full-sized steam engine and spent most weekends over the past 20 years volunteering at Hesston Steam Museum and giving rides on his train. He served on the board at Hesston, helped build two additional trains at Hesston, and helped restore two trains at the House of David. He enjoyed working on, riding, and racing anything with an engine, including motorcycles and snowmobiles. In addition, he and Carol learned to square dance in the 1980s and then proceeded to travel around the tri-state area with the Hits and Misses Square Dance Club. Ron was a man of quiet strength and integrity. He was a mentor to many, respected by all who met him, and deeply devoted to his family. Surviving are his wife, Carol; his sons, Scott (Cindie) Taylor, Brett (Cathleen) Taylor, and Jeff (Shelley) Taylor; his grandchildren, Adam, Noel, Annamaria, Jake, Cole, and Grey Taylor, Aimee (Jared) Page, Sidnee (Chris) Sayer, Heather (Eric) Graves, Monica (Mark) Markilllie, and Sam, Noah, and Micah Hanau; and great grandchildren, Layla and Taylor Page, Gabrielle and Christopher Sayer, Jack and Elsie Markillie, and Kaden Graves. He is also survived by his brother Steven Taylor of Colorado. Ronald is preceded in death by his parents.