Richard 'Dick' Taylor dies at 94
May 12—LUMBERTON — Many are remembering Richard "Dick" Taylor for his shrewd business sense, his support of athletics, his dedication to Rotary and his eye for antique cars.
But above all, Taylor is being remembered for his love for Lumberton and the people who live in it.
He passed away Wednesday at the age of 94.
Taylor is well-known for being a longtime fixture in the Downtown Lumberton community, having owned and operated Taylor Insurance Agency Inc. for more than seven decades. He was most recently honored with the Order of the Guardian Award for the accomplishment on April 29.
He also has served on the Lumberton City Council, and as president of the Downtown Lumberton Association. Taylor also was elected president of the Lumberton Board of Realtors.
He joined the Lumberton Rotary Club in April of 1954, making him the oldest active member, although health concerns and the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to take a break from meetings.
"Until he got sick I don't even know if he ever missed Rotary. I really don't," said Alan Avant, a fellow Rotarian of Taylor for the past 25 years.
Avant believes that it's the people that kept Taylor coming to meetings.
"He loved Rotary, don't get me wrong, but the fact of being there with people that were involved in the community, talking about the community and seeing what was going on by the different speakers and just sitting around talking with the people during lunch, is just something he really did enjoy," Avant said.
In the beginning, Avant respected Taylor for his grasp on real estate, business, cars, and sports but as the years went by, he began to connect on a personal level through talks of family and his joy in being a parent.
"Getting to know Dick as a person was probably one of the best joys that I had," Avant said. "Before it was on professional bases but a little bit down the road it got to be just he and I sitting there laughing and talking and sharing."
Avant said over the years he has had the chance to learn things about Taylor that are not spoken about much.
"There's a number of things he did locally that people don't know about. He helped a number of people," Avant said.
Danny Pittman is also someone who knew Taylor on a personal level and even called him a "best friend." His wife, Mary Pittman, told The Robesonian that Taylor was always a wise confidant to her husband and many nights were spent just talking at the old Taylor office.
"He will miss those conversations," Mary said.
Taylor is the brains behind the annual Labor Day Yard Sale, the largest yard sale in Lumberton, bringing in thousands to the Lumberton Downtown Plaza each year.
In his last years, Taylor has worked closely with the Lumberton Main Street Committee and Rediscover Downtown Lumberton, which shares the goal of revitalizing the downtown Lumberton area. With his help, Taylor assisted in renovating several dilapidated buildings and most recently donated land to the City of Lumberton to install a pocket park.
In addition to his business and service to the community are his athletic accomplishments.
The indoor track at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill is named in honor of Taylor, who won medals and broke records for the school's Track and Field program. The Lumberton man had the honor of running the first lap when the indoor track was first installed.
Sue Walsh, a fellow UNC-Chapel Hill athlete, has known Taylor for more than 40 years and was saddened by the news of his death.
Walsh told The Robesonian that Taylor was an avid supporter of UNCP and UNC-Chapel Hill's athletics, not just monetarily, but in any way that strengthened the Track and Field programs. She said this was because Taylor was always thankful for what collegiate sports did for him.
"We'll just miss him so much. He'll be forever a part of the Carolina athletics legacy as well as the university's legacy," Walsh said.
Walsh said she and Taylor had an inside joke where he would compliment her after accomplishing a particularly good swimming rate or doing a good job with the Rams Club.
"He'd say 'You done good... for a girl,'" Walsh said.
Apprehensive at first, Walsh soon caught on to the joke.
"Always, always, always that would be our joke. He would say 'You done good and I would say 'For a girl.' I'll always remember that and cherish the relationship that we've had... We're thankful for his life and the time we got to share with him."
Taylor made a local impact on the athletics in Robeson County as well.
The track at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke was named after Taylor and his wife, Lenore, to honor their contributions to the university's athletic department. Their support included a major gift to Caton Fieldhouse and a major gift in support of campus beautification.
The Taylors are longstanding supporters of the Braves Club, and Taylor helped secure a $250,000 Zucker Professorship because of his relationship with the Zuckers.
Lenore currently serves on the University's Foundation Board as well as the Braves Club Board of Directors.
"We mourn the loss of a great UNCP supporter and dear friend, Mr. Dick Taylor," UNCP Chancellor Robin Cummings said.
"He lived an incredible life of service and accomplished many great things. He served on the UNCP Board of Trustees and UNC Board of Governors. In fact, he was the one who gave the motion in the BOG meeting in 2015 to appoint me as Chancellor. His involvement at UNCP has and will continue to impact UNCP students for generations to come. He will be missed by many, and we continue to keep his wife, Lenore, and family in our thoughts and prayers," he said.
Taylor served two terms on the UNCP Board of Trustees (2003-2011). After that stint, he was appointed to the UNC Board of Governors, after then Rep. G.L. Pridgen nominated him for the spot. He served one term (2011-2014), and was able to travel to China with his wife during that time.
"Dick was a great friend and a great man. He was a gentleman. It is an honor to have known him," Pridgen said.
Tomeka Sinclair can be reached at tsinclair@robesonian.com or 910-416-5865.
