Obituary for Pearl Taylor
Pearl Taylor, age 97, passed away in Eagle, CO at Castle Peak Senior Living where she had lived since 2016. She is survived by her children, Kristie Damico and Chuck Taylor, son-in-law Peter Damico, grandson Matt Damico and 2 great granddaughters Elle and Aida. Pearl was preceded in death by her husband Chuck Taylor. Pearl was born and grew up in Brighton, Colorado. Her four grandparents were immigrants from Germany and Russia, settling in Brighton to farm. Her maternal grandfather was a founder of the Brighton German Lutheran Church in 1885. Pearl wrote. “My interests were sewing, 4-H club with my lambs, playing the accordion and belonging to an accordion band. I liked being outdoors and helped with the chickens, worked on the farm and helped Mother with the garden"
Pearl attended college in Greeley and then University of Denver during World War II, which was declared her Senior year of high school. When the war was over in 1945, she married Chuck Taylor who she had started dating as a senior in high school.
They moved back to Brighton and together built a CPA firm. She worked at the firm during tax season through the 60’s. Pearl participated in many aspects of small town living: the Lutheran Church & School, Boy Scouts, Campfire Girls, County Fair and Rodeo, bridge groups, to name a few. In 1969, they moved to Boulder where her love for gardening became more than "a row of flowers along a fence." She played golf, tennis, volunteered for Boulder Open Spaces and traveled with friends from the Colorado CPA Assoc.
Pearl fell in love with the mountains of the Vail area in 1975. The Vail Racquet Club condo kept her away from Boulder more and more. She learned to ski at 65 (stopped at 85) and began making friends that would later become the group that started Vail Club 50. In 1986 she became a Friend of the Alpine Garden (then called Vail Alpine Garden, now the Betty Ford Garden) and faithfully volunteered weekly in the Betty Ford Garden until she was 89.
The move in 1991 to Wildridge, Avon inspired her to build a huge flower garden from a sloping, sage brush, treeless lot into a showcase garden that surrounded their duplex and extended into the ditch right up to the road and into the utility easement . She never did hire landscape architects or plantsmen. Pearl did her own hard work of 6 to 8 hour days of hauling rocks, wheel-barrows of dirt, experimentation with plants, deadheading and weeding. This led to the Betty Ford Gardens Vail Valley Festival of Flowers competition awarding her lst place in her category in 1995, 97, 98 and 99, Grand Prize in 1996 and Gardener Emeritus in 2000. Pearl was certified as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat garden by the National Wildlife Federation, as a Colorado Wildscape and 1 of 13 gardeners named in Colorado as a Habitat Hero by the Audubon Society. The PBS Garden Smart filmed her as an inspiration to gardeners with challenging plots. Pearl's gardens were annually toured by CSU groups, Garden Clubs, the Betty Ford volunteers and lucky neighbors. All the while making time to hike, ski, crosscountry and socially gather with her Vail Club 50 friends, volunteer at Vilar and the Beaver Creek Chapel every Sunday.
Pear never failed to make time for her family. Being a loving, always available and fun Mother and Granny came first in her busy life. Pearl and Chuck would happily keep their grandson for 3-4 weeks teaching him to ski and hike, fish, and showing him how to love the mountains as much as they did.
Her honorable legacy of kindness and happiness can be seen in her smile. As she would say, “It's no fun not to be happy" This mantra, dedication to hard work and play, a strong faith in Goodness and Mercy guided her through and inspired all who knew her. Her wisdom and grace were hers up to the very last days of her journey.
Her wishes for a memorial service were that we all get out in Nature and enjoy ourselves. Just like a Pearl, she was one of a kind.
Pearl attended college in Greeley and then University of Denver during World War II, which was declared her Senior year of high school. When the war was over in 1945, she married Chuck Taylor who she had started dating as a senior in high school.
They moved back to Brighton and together built a CPA firm. She worked at the firm during tax season through the 60’s. Pearl participated in many aspects of small town living: the Lutheran Church & School, Boy Scouts, Campfire Girls, County Fair and Rodeo, bridge groups, to name a few. In 1969, they moved to Boulder where her love for gardening became more than "a row of flowers along a fence." She played golf, tennis, volunteered for Boulder Open Spaces and traveled with friends from the Colorado CPA Assoc.
Pearl fell in love with the mountains of the Vail area in 1975. The Vail Racquet Club condo kept her away from Boulder more and more. She learned to ski at 65 (stopped at 85) and began making friends that would later become the group that started Vail Club 50. In 1986 she became a Friend of the Alpine Garden (then called Vail Alpine Garden, now the Betty Ford Garden) and faithfully volunteered weekly in the Betty Ford Garden until she was 89.
The move in 1991 to Wildridge, Avon inspired her to build a huge flower garden from a sloping, sage brush, treeless lot into a showcase garden that surrounded their duplex and extended into the ditch right up to the road and into the utility easement . She never did hire landscape architects or plantsmen. Pearl did her own hard work of 6 to 8 hour days of hauling rocks, wheel-barrows of dirt, experimentation with plants, deadheading and weeding. This led to the Betty Ford Gardens Vail Valley Festival of Flowers competition awarding her lst place in her category in 1995, 97, 98 and 99, Grand Prize in 1996 and Gardener Emeritus in 2000. Pearl was certified as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat garden by the National Wildlife Federation, as a Colorado Wildscape and 1 of 13 gardeners named in Colorado as a Habitat Hero by the Audubon Society. The PBS Garden Smart filmed her as an inspiration to gardeners with challenging plots. Pearl's gardens were annually toured by CSU groups, Garden Clubs, the Betty Ford volunteers and lucky neighbors. All the while making time to hike, ski, crosscountry and socially gather with her Vail Club 50 friends, volunteer at Vilar and the Beaver Creek Chapel every Sunday.
Pear never failed to make time for her family. Being a loving, always available and fun Mother and Granny came first in her busy life. Pearl and Chuck would happily keep their grandson for 3-4 weeks teaching him to ski and hike, fish, and showing him how to love the mountains as much as they did.
Her honorable legacy of kindness and happiness can be seen in her smile. As she would say, “It's no fun not to be happy" This mantra, dedication to hard work and play, a strong faith in Goodness and Mercy guided her through and inspired all who knew her. Her wisdom and grace were hers up to the very last days of her journey.
Her wishes for a memorial service were that we all get out in Nature and enjoy ourselves. Just like a Pearl, she was one of a kind.