James "Jay" Robert Taylor

James Robert “Jay” Taylor died at his father’s home in Monroe, Louisiana, on Thursday, March 28, after a brief battle with lung cancer. Jay was born in Monroe, Louisiana on April 17, 1974. He graduated from the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts in 1992 and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1996. He moved to Austin, Texas in 2000. He was hired by Green Mountain Energy Company in 2003, and was employed there as a senior financial analyst until his illness was diagnosed last May. An athlete and sports enthusiast, Jay was a dedicated marathoner who served as a coach, trainer, and team captain for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training. He completed five marathons with Team in Training, raising nearly $13,000 for cancer research. While Jay was a fan of the New Orleans Saints and LSU football, his greatest sports passion was for UNC Tar Heel basketball. He is remembered by his Green Mountain co-workers for his ability to run a mean NCAA tournament pool. Jay loved live music, and he had an appreciation for a wide variety of musical genres. Jay attended nearly 100 Phish shows and enjoyed the adventure of traveling with his close friends to concerts in all parts of the country. Jay was also a karaoke fan. He combined his love of entertaining with the desire to help others, creating memorable fundraisers for cancer research. Few will forget his performance of The Humpty Hump!! Jay will be remembered by his friends and family for his beautiful smile and infectious laugh, his exuberance for life, and his kind and generous spirit. Jay was preceded in death by his mother, Sharon Allen Taylor, his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. James Robert Taylor and John Heath Allen, Jr, and his friend, Kevin Bell. He is survived by his father and step-mother, Jim and Linda Taylor; his sister and brother-in-law, Tanya and Mark Pesek, and their children, Sarah Helen, Nathan, and Cole Pesek; his grandmother Mrs. John Allen, Jr; his beloved, Katherine Easterling; and his best friend, Justin Rostant. He is also survived by aunts and uncles, Heath and Jan Allen, and Arden and Ed Dufilho; cousins, Jennifer, Erik, Annabeth and Alex Etzel, John Allen, Billy Allen, Alden Allen, Halle Allen, Carrie Allen, and Claire Allen; and numerous friends. Jay’s family would like to thank Shannon Newton, Mary Carroll, Nicole Green, and the other caregivers from St. Joseph’s Hospice for the exceptional care they provided during Jay’s illness. A memorial service and a celebration of Jay’s life will be held at the American Legion Hall in Monroe on Saturday, April 13. Visitation will take place from 2-3 p.m., with a memorial service immediately following. Friends and family are invited to return to celebrate Jay’s life with live music at the American Legion Hall at 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please assist Jay’s friend Dorothy Trainer’s campaign to earn a research grant in Jay’s memory, or donate to St. Joseph’s hospice. To donate to Dorothy’s campaign, visit www.mwoy.org, click make a donation, and type Dorothy’s name in the candidate’s name fields.

James "Jay" Robert Taylor

April 17, 1974 - March 28, 2013