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Kathlene Baker Taylor
Kathy's 2011 Autobiograohy
Summing up 50 years of living on one page is daunting, but life has been good to me since leaving Staples High.
Set off for Boston, met my husband, Keith Taylor at Tufts Univ., and when he returned alive from Vietnam, we married (43 years ago) had two wonderful sons, Torin (40) a very successful executive with 3 great children, Nils (9), Augusta (7) and Ernest (4); and Keith, a wandering minstral of a child living happily in Los Angeles, CA. Life’s been good to all of us, financially and health-wise. We’ve been lucky to travel extensively in the US and Europe and enjoy a very active retired life. Both Keith and I serve on local community boards, church boards, and are active volunteers in the community. Currently I work with troubled youth at a recovery high school, and Keith in on the Board of a local Hospice house. When not adoring our grandchildren (who live locally), we sail, ski, travel, play bridge and sing in local choirs (only me!). I’m an avid movie buff and attend Sundance Film Festival every year and coerce all my friends to see the latest independent films when I return. So it’s been an “average” wonderful last 50 years, enjoying all life has given me, and on a scale of 1-10, I’d give it a 20! I sincerely hope it’s been the same for all of you, and I’ll always call Westport “home”.
Kathy's Update (2021)
The most dramatic change in the last 10 years of my life has been the loss of my husband of 50+ years to ALS. Keith (Kit) Taylor won his battle with ALS on August 30, 2018, one year to the day from diagnosis. He lived that last year with incredible courage and humor. His ALS was attributed to his service with the Navy as a Forward Observer on the Demilitarized Zone in Vietnam. Kit always said the rest of his life was a gift as he should have died there and he lived the rest of his life relishing and enjoying that gift.
I chose the term “won” because it was a relentless year and Kit chose to stop intake of nourishment of any kind at the end. MA does not have physician-assisted right to die. So yes, he “won” his battle in the Hospice House he had built through volunteer work. I have since spoken at the MA State House advocating for right to die legislation, but so far it has not been brought forward. “Winning” is dying with dignity.
Prior to Kit’s diagnosis we were privileged to continue traveling, taking an amazing small charter cruise to Alaska with family and grandkids. Kayaking up to a glacier and being close enough to see whale’s baleen are bucket listers. Again, Provence, Ireland, Scotland, and always Italy are treasured memories.
There’s no explaining the adjustment to being widowed to those fortunate enough not to have experienced it yet. However, I continue to be blessed with supportive family and friends. I continued to travel (can’t wait for COVID to end to get back on those planes!). Greece and the islands with my son, Keith and wife, Erica – everyone should have that experience. I spent New Year’s eve 2020 (yes, just escaped the start of COVID) IN the Panama Canal on a small ship with both sons and wives and 3 grandchildren. Now that truly is a bucket list moment.
My life remains full with family and friends. I continue to volunteer with addicted youth, serve on Church boards, sing in choir, do yoga 3 times a week - all by a wonderful invention called Zoom. I host the weekly cocktail social at my condo complex and play bridge – again Zoom. And hopefully, will spearhead the third annual fundraising walk for ALS with our team Taylor’s Sailors.
So I look forward to our Zoom reunion and wish you all a continued blessed life for as much of it as we all have left to us.
Kathy and Kit
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