Frank Roland Taylor - Obituary

Frank Roland Taylor was born on March 7, 1934, in Washington, D.C., to Corrine Dixon Taylor and John Blakey Taylor. He passed away on the morning of February 7, 2022, at the Washington Hospital Center, after a brief illness. The youngest son of five brothers, Frank attended District of Columbia public schools, graduating from his beloved Armstrong High School in 1951. While attending Armstrong, Frank was drawn to his studies in mathematics and electrical engineering. His extra curricular activities during his high school years included baseball, tennis, photographer for the student newspaper and broadcasting the results of local high school sports on a small AM radio station. After high school, Frank attended The Catholic University of America, while also working in the federal government, at the David Taylor Model Basin in Bethesda, Maryland , a Navy test facility for the development of ship design. In 1955, Frank was drafted into the United States Army. On June 22, 1957, Frank married his long time sweetheart, Lydia Roberson of Washington, D.C. They first met while attending elementary school. Their wedding was described by a local newspaper, as a “High Fashion Wedding.” Shortly after their wedding the young newlyweds moved to Texas, where Frank was stationed at Fort Bliss and eventually the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Their first son, Philip was born in May 1958, in El Paso, Texas. After being honorably discharged in early 1961, Staff Sergeant Frank Taylor and his young bride and new born son, relocated to Washington, D.C. In December of that year, their second son, Frank was born. Having successfully completed his military service, Frank re-joined the federal government at the beginning of the new Kennedy administration, while his young wife began her teaching career in the D.C public school system. Frank began his federal career at the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office, where he served as an Electronic Technician on-board the Navy’s P-3 aircraft, as part of an airborne acoustics “research” team. This team was responsible for the design, fabrication and maintenance of highly classified electronic equipment and systems, used for conducting airborne acoustic operations at the height of the Cold War. Frank was required to travel aboard ships, planes (P-3s) and submarines for extended periods of time, leaving his young family behind in the Washington suburbs. After nearly twenty years with the Oceanographic Office, Frank joined the U.S. Naval Surface Weapons Center, where he served as a senior system manager for the Sensors and Electronic Division. After 37 years of service in the federal government, Frank retired in 1990, and soon began a career as a private contractor, working for a number of defense firms, the last being Northrop Grumman. Well before retiring from the federal government, in his leisure time Frank became a yachting enthusiast, beginning with motor boats and eventually transitioning to his true love, sailboats. Frank, along with his family, enjoyed sailing the Chesapeake Bay and its many rivers. They especially enjoyed hosting friends and family on the sailboat, especially being moored in the Annapolis harbor for the 4th of July, watching the city’s fireworks. When they weren’t on the bay, Frank and Lydia enjoyed gardening and watching Sunday football. He was well known to quickly leave Sunday Mass to arrive home for the kickoff of the Washington football team. Once both Frank and Lydia finally retired, they began traveling abroad to many of the countries off the North Atlantic, the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Areas where Frank had worked while employed with the Oceanographic Office. Lydia insisted on it! In their late 60s, the couple took a vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and fell in love with the area and culture. They purchased a home there and spent many winters enjoying the weather, the food and making new friends. Despite his accomplishments and successes, Frank was a reserved (almost shy) and humble man. He was a loving, devoted and caring husband, who adored his wife of 64 years, whom he tirelessly cared for during her long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was also a loving and supportive father, grandfather and loyal friend. He enjoyed simplicity and unpretentiousness. Although a gentle soul, well known for his supportive, overly generous and optimistic personality. He could be tough as nails with high standards, and he was a tower of strength, and a steady rock for his family. He instilled in his sons values, decency, honor and civic mindedness, insisting they kept up on current affairs. Survivors include his sons Philip and Frank, granddaughter Nila and numerous nieces and nephews. Messages of Thanks The Taylor sons are immensely grateful for the many kind and beautiful expressions of sympathy and love shown having lost both beloved parents over the past five months. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in his name the American Cancer Society or the Alzheimer’s Association. A funeral will be held on Monday, February 21 at 1 p.m. at Mt. Comfort Cemetery, 6600 South Kings Highway, Alexandria, VA 22306. Entombment in the Mausoleum.