Published: July 01, 2009
Melody Kinser
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Frank Taylor believed in and enjoyed the greeter position he had at the Mechanicsville Wal-Mart.
Known as “The Candyman” for keeping a pocket full of candy for customers—young and old, his familiar face in the lawn and garden section is being missed following a tragic accident that occurred on Saturday.
Alfred Franklin Taylor, 76, and his 83-year-old wife, Wanda Bradley Taylor, died when their van collided head-on with a pickup truck at the intersection of Georgetown Road on U.S. 301. The van burst into flames, claiming the lives of the Shady Grove Road couple.
This morning, co-worker Debra Peak remembered Frank Taylor and his “Candyman” persona. She said he was a favorite with customers and the people he worked with, because he would “carry on or joke” and “carry on conversations.” The emotion in her voice told the story of not just a co-worker but a friend who would be greatly missed.
Peak also said the sudden loss of Frank and Wanda Taylor had left a void at the BB&T in Old Mechanicsville. Frequent meals at the local Cracker Barrel was part of their routine too.
Ed Husn, manager of the Mechanicsville Wal-Mart, said Frank Taylor’s death had been “very tough” on the store as a whole, but especially in the lawn and garden area where he was so well known.
In remembering the man he called an “associate,” Husn said “Frank was always full of energy and enthusiasm.”
According to obituary information provided by Bennett Funeral Home in Mechanicsville, Frank and Wanda Taylor had been happily married for 38 years.
Frank Taylor was an Army veteran who served three tours of duty in Vietnam and in Korea. He retired from the Department of Motor Vehicles, where he had been employed as a police officer. He was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Mechanicsville Moose Lodge. His obituary said “He truly loved people, especially children” and, like Peak said, “enjoyed joking and carrying on conversations with everyone.”
He is survived by a sister, Cleo (George) Vance of Bristol, Tenn.; a brother, Baker (Maureen) Taylor of Leesburg; four daughters, Deborah Taylor (Randy) Holland of Raleigh, N.C., Donna Taylor (John) Ahern of Vienna, Kimberly Taylor (Bob) Gardner of Hartsville, S.C., and Connie Taylor Black, also of Hartsville; a stepdaughter, Nancy Bradley (Bill) Browning of Glen Allen; a stepson, James Thomas Bradley Jr. of Orange Park, Fla.; 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Wanda Taylor had retired from MCV Hospitals, after having worked as a medical records specialist. Peak said she had worked in the shoe department at Wal-Mart.
Her survivors include a daughter, Nancy Bradley (Bill) Browning; a son, James Thomas Bradley Jr.; four stepdaughters, Deborah Taylor (Randy) Holland, Donna taylor (John) Ahearn, Kimberly Taylor (Bob) Gardner and Connie Taylor Black; 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Wanda Taylor will be remembered as a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
Funeral services for the Taylors will be conducted at 2 p.m. tomorrow at the Mechanicsville Chapel of Bennett Funeral Home at 8014 Lee-Davis Road in Mechanicsville. Burial will follow in Signal Hill Memorial Park.
Friends may call from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. today and one hour prior to services at the funeral home.
Family members ask that memorial contributions be made to a charity of choice.
When Capt. Michael J. Trice, speaking on behalf of Col. V. Stuart Cook, sheriff, and the Sheriff’s Office, released the identities of the victims on Tuesday, he said, “We ask the community to keep the family and friends of the Taylors in their thoughts and prayers as they try to cope with the loss of their loved ones.”
