The Diocese has announced the death of Fr John Taylor, who died on 20 February at St Michael’s Care Home, Clacton.
Fr John was born at Walthamstow on 24 June 1929 (the feast of St John the Baptist). He was a convert to Catholicism and was educated for the priesthood at St Edmund’s College, Ware. He was ordained at Our Lady & St George, Walthamstow, by Rt Rev Bernard Wall (4th Bishop of Brentwood) on 5 May 1968, a month or so before his 40th birthday.
As an assistant priest he served at Our Lady of Lourdes & St Joseph, Leigh-on-Sea (1968-1970) and Our Lady Immaculate, Chelmsford (1970-1974).
As a parish priest he served at Our Lady & St Joseph, Stanford-le-Hope (1974-1979), where he was on occasion to be seen on his motorbike as he visited different parts of his scattered parish. In 1979 he went to St Edward the Confessor, Romford, where he was responsible for re-ordering the church. In 1990 he served briefly as parish priest of Our Lady & St George, Walthamstow, but in the following year went to St Joseph, Upminster, where he was to spend 20 years until his retirement, aged 82, in 2011.
His retirement was spent in Upminster, living close to the church, and latterly, as his health failed, at St Michael’s Convent Care Home, Clacton-on-Sea, where he died on 20 February aged 94.
Known as a quiet, gentle man with a good sense of humour, he tried wherever he served to encourage the involvement of the laity in taking responsibility for parish life. His funeral Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Light & St Osyth, Clacton-on-Sea, on Wednesday 20 March at 12 noon. Requiescat in pace.