Jackson Taylor, Jr.

Dr. Jackson Taylor, Jr., 84, died Sunday, December 4, 2022, at his home in Oxford, MS. The funeral will be Thursday, December 8, 2022, at 2:00 P.M. in the Chapel of Waller Funeral Home with Rev. Dennis Gossett officiating. Visitation will be held prior to the service beginning at 1:00 P.M. Burial will follow in Eastover Memorial Cemetery.

Dr. Taylor was born on February 12, 1938, to the late Jackson and Gladys Taylor. A professor of history at The University of Mississippi, he was a devoted and gifted teacher. Dr. Taylor cared deeply for his students, likely more than they realized, and went above and beyond to ensure each one succeeded in his class. An extensive traveler, he came so close to accomplishing his lifelong goal of visiting all 7 continents, traveling to all but Antarctica. It brought Dr. Taylor great joy to document these travels with photographs and albums, and loved to share his stories with friends and family. He was a passionate and lifelong fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Mets, charting nearly every game he’d ever watched. A man of great faith, Dr. Taylor was a longtime member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and active in the weekly Bible study. For the past two years, he was an active member of St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church. Dr. Taylor believed deeply in giving back to one’s community, volunteering with Meals on Wheels and other organizations. He joined the Kiwanis Club of Oxford in August of 1981 and was known about town as “Mr. Kiwanian” as he participated and promoted all the projects of the club during his 41 year membership. Kiwanis was the center of his life after his retirement. Some projects he especially enjoyed were at the “Pantry” and ringing the bell for the Salvation Army at Christmas. Dr. Taylor had a perfect attendance record for club meetings and was the only member in the last two years that had not missed a meeting. He served as local president of the club for three terms and likewise he served as a Lieutenant Governor for three terms also. Dr. Taylor also served as club secretary for over twenty-five years in which the Oxford Club was routinely recognized as an outstanding club due to Jack’s efforts. He attended many district and regional Kiwanis Conventions and traveled throughout the United States and overseas attending the annual International Kiwanis Conventions. Dr. Taylor was always willing to donate his time to a worthy cause or lend a helping hand when needed, and will be greatly missed by the Oxford-University community and all who knew him.

Dr. Taylor is survived by four cousins, Elizabeth Buryan Kallop of Palm Beach, FL, Elizabeth Kallop of Atlanta, GA, Will Kallop of Greenwich, CT, and Richard Buryan of Vancouver, BC, Canada; as well as his dear friends and colleagues, Fred Laurenzo (Kathy), Buddy Arrington (Teresa), and Sam DeLeeuw, all of Oxford, MS; and the members of the Oxford Kiwanis Club.

Expressions of sympathy or memorial contributions in Dr. Taylor’s memory may be made to the Oxford Kiwanis Club, P.O. Box 823, Oxford, MS 38655.