John Taylor

John Edward Taylor of Rockport, Texas was born in Wellington, Shropshire England on Sept 22, 1948.

At the age of 17, he went to sea to work in the British Merchant Navy. In 1973 he married his first wife Shirley and had two sons, James and Giles Taylor. In 1993 he married his second wife Phoebe and started his life in the United States.

John traveled the world as a merchant sailor before engaging in the ship survey industry that took him to West Africa and the Middle East.  Later on in his career, John transitioned to the oil industry where he became a leading expert in respect to rig safety regulations.

John had a larger-than-life personality. He cherished and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with family and friends – and having a ‘couple of scoops’ to liven things up.

In his spare time, John loved reading about naval history – swashbucklers were his favorite. He was a keen rugby player in his early years which was a passion he held throughout his life. He was also an able carpenter and home improvement enthusiast and always had a project going that kept him busy throughout the weekends. In his later years, John enjoyed spending his time working on a jigsaw puzzle and building miniature wooden boats. John and his wife, Phoebe, loved the relaxed atmosphere of the Texas coast and spent many hours enjoying the views and sea breeze with their beloved pets Mazie and Moggy by their sides.

John is preceded in death by his parents, Leslie and Jacqueline Taylor.  He is survived by his wife Phoebe, sons James (Sara) Taylor and Giles (Rachael) Taylor, Stepdaughter Courtney (Greg) Bryan, and Stepson Blake Brown, plus several grandchildren.