Beloved
mother, grandmother and great-grandmother Antoinette Taylor, 99,
lived a long and fulfilling life, passing after a brief illness. Toni
was born on the first day of spring 1925, at home in Pawtucket, R.I.
She was the daughter of Frederick and Addie (Soule) Lewis, descendent
of George Soule of the Mayflower.
Antoinette
was raised in Pawtucket, spending summers in Jamestown, R.I., in a
cottage built by her grandfather, which still stands on the West
Ferry side of the island, surviving the “Yankee Clipper” Great
New England Hurricane of 1938. She continued to visit Jamestown, a
place she cherished, until her early eighties.
Toni
attended East High School in Pawtucket, class of 1943, serving as
vice president of her senior class and voted “Most Popular.” With
a passion for people and service, she began her lifelong social
habits of participating in a wide variety of extracurricular
activities, staying very active in her school community. She was in
several clubs; played basketball, tennis and badminton; and was a
member of the swim team. She went on to study English at University
of Rhode Island, continuing her tradition of involvement by serving
as Sigma Kappa chairwoman of social activities. She participated in
student government and in many other organizations, including the
rifle club. Toni was also member of the draft board and participated
in the Philanthropic Education Association, which supported women in
education. During World War II, she also worked at the Naval Torpedo
Factory on Goat Island, R.I.
She
met William “Ken” Taylor in 1945 at a social mixer at Brown
University. They wed in 1947 in Pawtucket. Her rifle skills came in
handy clay shooting with Ken during their honeymoon, outshooting him.
They went on to start a family in 1949 with the birth of their first
son, Jeffrey. In 1952, Ken was stationed at Pearl Harbor. Toni flew
on her own to Hawaii with her five-week-old second child, Kim, and
two-year-old Jeff. They completed their family in 1957 with the birth
of Gary. In 1964 the family relocated from Rhode Island to Essex
Junction, Vt. Antoinette lived in their Essex residence until 2022.
Toni
was very generous with her time, volunteering over the years at the
Brownell Public Library and the Essex Congregational Church. She
pushed the book cart at the Medical Center Hospital of Vermont for
two decades and also delivered Meals on Wheels into her eighties. She
loved travel and spent time adventuring in Europe and the U.S. Toni
was a bookworm and news junkie who was always up for lively political
discussion. She loved to entertain and had a genuine interest in
getting to know new people, hosting numerous dinner parties,
luncheons, teas and bridge gatherings in her home. For years she also
ran an investment club. Toni was a serious competitor who played to
win. She enjoyed tennis and golf and in her later years grew a
fondness for tai chi. She kept a gym membership past 90 years of age.
Antoinette
was predeceased by her parents, Frederick and Addie Lewis; her
husband of 48 years, William Kenneth Taylor; and a great-grandson,
Milo Joseph Savio. She is survived by her three children, Jeffrey
Taylor (Mary Ann), Kimberly Taylor (Ric) and Gary Taylor (Stephanie);
grandchildren, Lindsay Taylor, Meggin Taylor (Martin), Emily Savio
(Jacob), Katie Scherer (Walter) and Maxwell Taylor (Molly);
great-grandchildren Delia, Wesley and Calvin Savio, Etta Scherer, and
Finley and Bennett Taylor; as well as many cherished friends.
Interment
will be in the spring and announced at a later date. Corbin &
Palmer Funeral Home of Essex Junction will be handling arrangements.
The
family would like to thank the staff and residents at Maple Ridge
Lodge Assisted Living in Essex Junction for their amazing care and
fellowship. Toni felt blessed to spend her final years at Maple Ridge
and was a social butterfly to the very end, enjoying friends new and
old.
In
lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Age Well Association of Vermont, Brownell Public Library and First Congregational Church of Essex Junction.
This article appears in The Wellness Issue 2025.