1936 – 2016
It is with great sadness that the family announces that Dr. Kenneth G. Taylor passed away peacefully in hospice on Friday, November 4, 2016 in the afternoon. He is survived by his wife Lily, his children Norman, Renee, Colin, Hillary, stepchildren Holly and Tony Chan, his grandchildren Kendalyn and Landon as well as many members of the family of his younger brother Len.
Ken was born in Winnipeg on September 15, 1936, and as a child moved with his father George, mother Eunice and Len to BC after the war. While living near the ocean in Deep Cove, he formed the first of his many lifelong passions, in this case, zoology (especially marine biology and entomology). He played rugby at high school, and became a member of the ski patrol at Mt. Seymour. While at UBC, he added bird-watching and hiking – usually in bad weather – to his interests. After working as a student entomologist at the Summerland Research Station, he graduated and became a high school teacher in 1962, working in the Kootenays. There he joined the local judo and rock-climbing clubs.
After completing his doctorate at Washington State University, he and his family moved to Kamloops in 1970 as a Pioneer Faculty Member of Cariboo College, one of the very first biology instructors. He helped lay the foundations for many of the programs that now exist at Thompson Rivers University, and is warmly remembered by many of his colleagues and students. He spent much of his time in extra-curricular activities with students, notably biology field trips to the Marine Station at Bamfield and other locations. Strangely enough, many of these excursions also occurred in bad weather, much like many of the camping and canoeing trips that his children – eventually – fondly remember. During this time, his first marriage ended in 1979, and he married Lily Chew in 1997. He retired from the University College of the Cariboo in 1998 after 28 years of teaching.
After retirement, he pursued his continuing passions for travel and bird-watching with Lily, as well as golf, reading and fiercely competitive bridge at the Kamloops Duplicate Bridge Club where he became a Life Master. Travel (especially involving birding) took him and Lily on many wonderful trips to at least 18 countries, several of them more than once. These included Australia, Borneo, Ecuador and Costa Rica. He was a member of the Kamloops Naturalists Club, going out on numerous bird counts for as long as he was able to do so.
The family wishes to thank all those who came to visit him in the last months of his life, especially his good friends at the bridge club. In lieu of cards and flowers, they ask that a voluntary donation be made to the Marjorie Willoughby Snowden Hospice in his memory instead (72 Whiteshield Crescent St. Kamloops, BC V2E 2S9) At Ken’s request, there will be no formal memorial service.
Condolences may be expressed at www.kamloopsfuneralhome.com

• Date : 2016-11-04
• Location : Kamloops, B.C.