James Edward Taylor

James Edward Taylor ("Jim") was born to Norman and Mary Taylor on November 30, 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the fifth of eight brothers and sisters. He was the baby of the family for seven years, but after his younger siblings were born, he loved being his mom's helper, especially in the kitchen. He attended St. Catherine's grade school. At age 10, he met 9-year-old Cynthia Sido, who spent the next six years doodling his name on her notebooks until he finally asked her out and they became each other's first (and only) girlfriend and boyfriend. Jim graduated from Macomber High School and Owen's Technical College. Jim and Cindy wrote each other love letters during a long-distance courtship while Cindy was in nursing school. They married in 1975 on a beautiful October day at St. Catherine's.

Jim and Cindy spent the early years of their marriage having fun with their families and their friends in Toledo, dear friends whom they still love. After years of praying to conceive, they had a daughter, Andrea, and then 14 months later, a son, Nicholas. They bought their first home, on Brook Point Road, and have happy memories of taking countless trips to the "yellow brick road" at the neighborhood park with Andrea and Nick.

On Valentine's Day 1984, Jim and Cindy moved their family across the country to Butler Drive in sunny Chandler, Arizona, a street on which they lived in two houses—a few years after their cross-country move, they moved across the street into their dream home. They made friends with a few of the parents of Nick's kindergarten classmates and a family who had lived in their Toledo neighborhood and coincidentally moved to their Arizona neighborhood. These treasured friendships would last a lifetime.

Jim worked as a color corrector in the printing and lithography industry. Outside of work, he used his creative and artistic talents to create oversized, hand-drawn birthday signs that were truly labors of love.

In his spare time, Jim loved cycling, roller blading, gardening, and nature photography, as well as playing euchre and other games, throwing parties, and joking around to make people laugh. He was proud of his children's accomplishments and was always there to cheer them on at every choir concert, play, cross country meet, baseball game, or Taekwondo event, alongside his wife and in-laws. He enjoyed attending father-daughter dances with Andrea and YMCA "Indian Guides" events with Nick. Holidays and birthdays were celebrated with Cindy's parents, brother, niece, and nephew, who loved Jim—and whom Jim loved—as family. Family vacations included lots of Southern California trips, a trip to Washington D.C., a vacation in Arkansas with Jim's beloved mom, siblings, nieces, and nephews, several trips "home" to Toledo, and many summer camping trips in Arizona, including memorable camping trips with "the gang" (Jim and Cindy's much-loved Arizona friends and their kids).

Jim and Cindy welcomed two daughters-in-law into their family, Candy Sprague Taylor and Cindy King, and became loving grandparents—Nana and Papa—to four grandchildren: Mason, Reagen, Vivienne, and Anna.

A devout Catholic, Jim served in various ministries, including volunteering as a minister of hospitality, sponsoring a catechumen, and training to be a Eucharistic minister. He had a special devotion to the Divine Mercy Jesus and daily prayed the Litany of Trust. Jim and Cindy have been parishioners at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, St. Andrew's, and St. Timothy's, their current home parish, and frequent guests at St. Theresa's. During his final years, while living with cancer, Jim took solace in praying at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, where he will be buried, and at St. Peregrine's Shrine.

In October 2025, Jim and Cindy celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary quietly at home due to Jim's illness, surrounded in spirit by the love of family and friends.

Jim died on January 4, 2026 at age 72, with his wife, Cindy, by his side. In addition to his wife, children and grandchildren, Jim is survived by siblings Tom (Pat) Taylor, Sue (Mike) Burks, Ted (George) Taylor, Dan (Erin) Taylor, Mary (John) Kristof, and Bill (Jeannie) Taylor, numerous nieces and nephews, and mother-in-law Rita Sido. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Tim Taylor, sister-in-law Sue Taylor, father-in-law James J. Sido, and brother-in-law James G. Sido.

Jim's funeral Mass will be at 10:00 a.m. on January 20, 2026 at St. Timothy Catholic Church in Mesa, Arizona with a 9:30 Rosary beforehand. Those who cannot attend in person may watch a livestream of the funeral Mass at https://www.youtube.com/live/XRxN36mw6p4?si=amcr9-ghTRIawLvj. After the funeral, all are welcome and encouraged to attend the graveside ceremony and internment at Queen of Heaven Cemetery. Everyone is invited to a reception immediately after the burial at Nick and Candy's house, 431 N. Kenneth Place, Chandler, AZ 85226. Please join us—Jim loved a big party, and we would love to celebrate him with you.

The family wishes to express heartfelt gratitude for the outpouring of love and support in recent days, including the kindness of those who have provided Cindy with meals and other help. We cannot thank you enough for your generosity and care.