Gary Royal Taylor

Gary Royal Taylor returned to his Heavenly Father on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. He was born in Plain City, Utah, on Aug. 15, 1938, to Royal Vause Taylor and Geraldine Terry. He recalled hearing Hitler's rants and listening to Roosevelt's fireside chats during World War II as a child. As a boy, Gary learned to love hard work. He served a mission in Finland for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and in the US Army Reserve. He then earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Utah. He married and had five children and received his master's degree and PhD in Education from Brigham Young University. He took a job at the University of Arkansas as a professor in the college of Education where he achieved full professorship with tenure. He later married Michele Anderson in 1988 and they had three children: Arienne, Brysen and Cameron. He helped develop the MAT program in Education, which was ranked first in the United States. He taught abroad on behalf of the University of Arkansas in Greece, Bolivia, and Saudi Arabia. He loved teaching his students and enjoyed seeing them later teach his own children. Gary loved to run and cycle up the hills of Fayetteville and ran in the first Hogeye Marathon among other triathlons and marathons. He loved carpentry, woodworking, and rock work. He was an active member in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as well as a temple worker in the Oklahoma City Temple. He loved the scriptures and discovering ways Jesus Christ taught, as the greatest teacher. Gary is survived by his wife, Michele, and seven children: Eric (Susie), Scott (Ashley), Ami-Ann Grass (Jaren), Jenny Spencer (Ryan), Chris (Wendy), Arienne, and Brysen, and 19 grandchildren and three sisters: Cheryl Barney (Kline), Beverly Lange (Fred) and Penny West (Michael). He is preceded in death by his son, Cameron. A visitation will be held Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022, from 5-7 p.m., at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of Fayetteville. A funeral service will be held the following morning at 11:00AM at the church with a burial to follow at Fairview Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Humanitarian Services: philanthropies.churchofjesuschrist.org.