Donald “Don” James Taylor, 78, died July 17, 2012.
He was born in Toronto and lived in Indian River County for more than 45 years.
After moving to Freeport, Grand Bahamas, in 1963 to open a new General Motors dealership and garage, he moved again to Florida.
In 1970, he and his wife established Taylor Towing, which has been recognized as one of the 500 oldest towing services in the United States.
He served for three years in the Royal Canadian Air Force and many years with the Boy Scouts in the Greater Toronto Region.
Gaining the rank of King Scout in 1948, he attended the first Canadian Boy Scout Jamboree in Ottawa.
He was chosen as one of the Scouts to serve at the memorial service for the 130 victims of the SS Noronic ship fire in Toronto Harbor in 1949.
He was educated in Toronto at Rawlson & Keele Public School and Vaughan Road Collegiate.
He also was a graduate of the Ontario Provincial Institute of Trades in automotive services.
He was active in the Vero Beach chapter of the F.O.E., and the Vero Beach Veterans Club.
Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Elizabeth Greene; sons, James T., of Vero Beach, Wilton Thane, of Pensacola and Brett Johnston, of Kelowna, B.C.; daughters, Elizabeth Tamara, of Vero Beach and Julie Fischer, of Guelph, Ontario; stepson, Edward W. Pierce, of Shingle Springs, Calif.; and seven grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. July 22 at Strunk Funeral Home, Vero Beach.
A funeral service will be at 11 a.m. July 23 at Strunk Funeral Home, Vero Beach, with the Rev. Lewis R. Gwen III of Trinity Episcopal Church officiating. Interment will be in Crestlawn Cemetery, Vero Beach.
A guestbook is available at www.strunkfuneralhome.com.
