William J. Taylor, Longtime Lawyer, Lower Merion Resident, Dies At 88

Obituary courtesy of Stretch Funeral Home

William J. Taylor passed on Friday, June 16, 2017. Mr. Taylor was a longtime resident of Ardmore, Pennsylvania, and more recently, of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. He was born on December 12, 1929 in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, the fifth child of Walter and Marie Taylor. As a young boy, Mr. Taylor's family moved to Ventnor, New Jersey where he was enrolled in St. James Parish School. He went on to Holy Spirit High School in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he graduated in 1948. He matriculated to St. Joseph's University where he was a political science major. His college studies were put on hold when he was drafted into the United States Army in 1951. He married his beloved Ann Theresa ("Mickey") O'Donnell in 1951 the weekend before starting basic training at Fort Sill in Oklahoma. Mr. Taylor served with distinction as a corporal in the United States Army in Korea. He was awarded the INFANTRY COMBAT BADGE for his service.

After serving our country, he completed his studies and received his B.A. from St. Joseph's University in 1954. In 1957 he earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law School. Upon graduating from Georgetown, he began his legal career as an associate at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, later becoming a partner in 1964, and eventually the Vice-Chair of the Litigation Department. In 1982, after 25 years at Morgan Lewis, he left Morgan to start his own firm, Taylor and Taylor, with his eldest son Bill, Jr. In 1991, his youngest son, Matthew, joined Taylor and Taylor. The firm was in existence until 1998. Thereafter, Mr. Taylor was associated with Saul Ewing LLP, Phelan, Pettit & Biedrzycki, and then, in 2004 he joined Cozen & O'Connor, where he remained Of Counsel until 2014. In retirement, Mr. Taylor stayed active in the law as a mediator, an arbitrator and mentor to many young lawyers.

Mr. Taylor spent his entire legal career, over 60 years, as a trial lawyer and his reputation was stellar. Throughout those years, he was a great advocate for many clients over the years, including the Pennsylvania Railroad, Reading Railroad, Conrail, Southern Pacific, Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe and Norfolk Southern. He was a longtime lawyer for Sun Oil Company for whom he tried cases all around the country in matters of toxic tort, commercial litigation, trucking, environmental litigation, premises liability and petroleum marketing litigation, among many others.

Mr. Taylor was active in all of his children's schools, including the Holy Child School at Rosemont (former Trustee for many years), Merion Mercy Academy, St. Joseph's Preparatory School, Archbishop Carroll and Malvern Preparatory School. Mr. Taylor was very proud of his association with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and was an active parishioner of his beloved St. Denis Roman Catholic Church in Havertown, Pennsylvania where he was a fixture as a lector and daily communicant. Mr. Taylor was especially devoted to the Sierra Club of Philadelphia (of which he was a past President), which is a group of laymen dedicated to the promotion of vocations to the priesthood, sisterhood and brotherhood in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Mr. Taylor's leadership posts and professional and civic accomplishments were many, including: being named as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, past president of the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, and recipient of the highest award given by Georgetown University, the John Carroll Award, conferred on alumni whose achievements and record of service exemplify the ideals and traditions of Georgetown and its founder. Mr. Taylor was inducted into the Haverford Township Little League Hall of Fame and was a founding member of the Karakung Swim Club.

Mr. Taylor spent a lifetime supporting his children in the pursuit of their educations and their participation in athletics at their various schools. Mr. Taylor was an active sportsman and athlete himself, and particularly enjoyed snow skiing, and boating at the Jersey Shore and Chesapeake Bay. Mr. Taylor was an avid tennis player, and he enjoyed playing once a week (until recently) as a longtime member of the Hobson Tennis group, affectionately known as the "Hobbies".

Mr. Taylor is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Ann Theresa Taylor (née O'Donnell) and his 6 children, 17 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. His children are William J. Taylor, Jr., Esquire (Susan) of Havertown, Pennsylvania, Timothy J. Taylor (Maryann) of Charlestown, South Carolina, Marguerite Dolan (Michael) of Trumbull, Connecticut, Ann Marie McShea (John) of Strafford, Pennsylvania, Jeanne Vinovich (Sam) of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania and Matthew A. Taylor, Esquire (Judith) of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

William J. Taylor's viewing will be at the Stretch Funeral Home on Eagle Road in Havertown, Pennsylvania on Thursday evening, June 22nd from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. An additional viewing will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Friday June 23rd. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated after the viewing at 11:00 a.m. in St. Denis Roman Catholic Church in Havertown. Interment St. Denis Parish Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in William J. Taylor's name to the Holy Child School at Rosemont 1344 Montgomery Ave. Rosemont, Pa. 19010, the Serra Club of Philadelphia 222 N. 17th St. Philadelphia, Pa. 19103, St. Denis Roman Catholic Church 2401 St. Denis Lane Havertown, Pa. 19083 or to the Haverford Twp. Little League P.O. Box 1391 Havertown, Pa. 19083.