Dr. Jim Taylor

Services will be held at First United Methodist Church at 11 a.m. Tuesday, with Dr. Rob Martin of First United Methodist Church and Dr. Scott Fowler of Spring Creek Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Montevallo, Ala., officiating. Burial will follow immediately after at Hillcrest Memorial Park. Arrangements are being handled by McEvoy Funeral Home in Paris.
Pallbearers will be John Halford, Jason Burton, Jacob Davis, Jonathan Fowler, Daniel Jim Fowler, Trent Plumley, Blake Plumley and Dr. Wright Jernigan.
Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Jack Hudgins, Joe Casey, Dr. Joe Harpole, Dr. Hollis Halford, Tony Garcia, Dr. Bill Campbell, Dr. Paul Mobley, Marion Reithel, Red Boden, Dan Brazelton, John Shelton, Tommy Jernigan, Dr. L.C. Bierman and Jerry Forehand.
Visitation will be at First United Methodist Church 4-7 p.m. today and from 10 a.m. Tuesday until service time.
Memorials may be given to the Thank You Lord Trust Fund at First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 25, Paris, TN 38242.
Dr. Taylor was born in Union City, to the late James Curtis and Alva (Mitchell) Taylor Dec. 14, 1928. He attended Union City High School and upon graduation he enlisted in the Navy in 1946. He was a veteran of World War II, where he served as a radioman on the U.S.S. Terror stationed with the Atlantic Fleet, and was awarded the World War II Service Medal.
In 1949, Dr. Taylor enrolled in college at the University of Tennessee at Martin. During his tenure there, Taylor was an accomplished letterman with the tennis team. He later attended the Southern College of Optometry School in Memphis, where he received his doctorate in 1953.
He married the former Martha Dee Jernigan Aug. 12, 1956, in Union City at First United Methodist Church. To this matrimony came four children. He moved back to his hometown of Union City to practice optometry until 1962, when he relocated his family to Paris. It was there that he purchased an existing practice from the widow of Dr. McPherson, a fellow optometrist. He continued to see patients there until construction of his new office was completed on Fairgrounds Road. The name was changed to Paris Vision Clinic and he was joined in practice with his son, Dr. James Curtis Taylor II, until his retirement in 1993.
As a child, his love for the outdoors began with Boy Scouts. He became an avid small and big game hunter, mainly of deer, duck and dove. He enjoyed spending time with his wife and family and was able to take on almost any project. He became a Golden Gloves boxer for a short period and even an amateur radio operator for many years. His call sign was K4KLX. In addition to loving his job, Dr. Taylor really enjoyed taking vacations, especially those involving camping, fishing and Indian artifact hunting. His travels carried him all over the country through the years of 1964 until 2009.
Dr. Taylor was involved in many clubs and civic organizations. In Union City, he was a participant of the Civitan Club and Jaycees. He was a member of local, state and national optometry societies and a fellow of the Tennessee Academy of Optometry. He felt it was important to stay abreast of the ever-changing laws and practices surrounding optometry. In the ’70s, Dr. Taylor was certified diagnostically and was then therapeutically certified in the ’80s. He was a member of the Paris Housing Authority Board for 25 years and sat on several different church boards. He also volunteered his services and time when needed.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Martha Taylor; four children and their spouses: Dr. James Curtis and Norma Taylor of Puryear, Janet Plumley and Tony Garcia of Dickson, Linda and Dr. Scott Fowler of Montevallo, Ala., and Brenda and Dr. Hollis Halford of Millington; 15 grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.
He was preceded in death by both parents, James Curtis and Alva (Mitchell) Taylor; his brother, William Porter Taylor; and two sisters, Alva Nell (Taylor) Wilkerson and Martha Ellen (Taylor) Burkett.
Dr. Jim Taylor gathered great pleasure from his walk with the Lord. He lived a full life without any regrets and will be remembered for his ever-present genuine smile.
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