He did not go by John, which was his father's name. He chose to go by Scott.

I had worked at the Long Beach Naval Base in the Officers Club (The "O" Club) as a cocktail waitress and could still get on base with my id and vehicle sticker. It was literally wall to wall men so I would often bring some girlfriends in with me on a Friday or Saturday night, after work, to party and dance on the cheap. You could buy a beer for 45 cents there. So, it was great if you were on a budget. LOL Which we were.

I took Mica and Mary in one night and the O Club was dead. We headed to the CPO Club and there were just a handful of people there. I said, the only thing left is the nursery. The what??? I said they call it the nursery because it is all the newbies and enlisted youngsters. They even have MPS inside the place to keep the peace so that tells you something. But ... we wanted to dance and we were gonna dance before we left for home!

We went in and the place was packed. I think we were the ONLY 3 girls in the place. So, we got a cocktail and found a table in the middle of the room. I remember saying ... do you ever get the feeling you are being watched? Every guy in the place was sipping his drink and talking to the guy next to him but was looking at us. We sat there and nursed our cocktails. Not one guy came to ask us to dance. So I said... who do you wanna dance with? I'll go get em. Mary had her eye on a guy and Mica liked one of the other two in their group of 3. I liked the looks of the other guy. So I said... I'll be back.

I walked over to them and leaned over the table. I said, the 3 of us want to dance with the 3 of you. I got no response. I said, look, we just wanna dance. We came here to dance ... and we are inviting you 3, out of everyone in this place, to dance with us. Are you really gonna send me back to my table alone? ... nothing ... You do realize that you will be either the envy of every guy in here or the butt of everyone's joke tonight, right? There was a little muttering and they stood up grabbed their beers and headed back with me. Game on.

We danced till we closed the place down. Mary and Scott hit it off well as did Scott and I (yes, Scott and Scott). Mica and her guy were not skyrockets. Can't win em all.

We ended the night by swapping numbers and making another date. Soon, the 4 of us were exclusive couples. It was fabulous. Mary and I worked together and had a great friendship so for two best friends to be going out with 2 best friends was just amazing. We did everything together. Days off were spent together, after work we were together, it was really good fun.

Scott and Scott went off to WestPac and we were the good girlfriends that sent letters drenched in our perfume so they would hold a scent by the time they made it across the world to the dry desert. And packages. Nice packages with treats and magazines and all the stuff they wanted but couldn't get. LOL

This went along for a nice while. They would come back in town bearing gifts and in the interim they re-upped and life went on.

It came to a point that my Scott was getting disgruntled with the Navy. He was feeling hemmed in and such but he had no idea as to what he wanted to be doing instead. So instead of signing on again, he decided to leave the Navy and cash out. He had been in the Navy for 5 years.

Scott and I had stopped seeing one another around this time. Scott had become more and more involved in drugs. I think that Scott fell into a depression and he didn't know how to get away from it so it became a vicious circle for him to escape by using drugs. He was sleeping on the couch at Mary and Scott's and becoming reclusive. Finally it was time for him to move on. I know it had to be a really distressing time for Scott and Mary.

Scott's parents offered him a place to stay in up-state New York, named Manlius. His plan was to move back home and find something he wanted to do. Go back to school or whatever. He had a degree in forestry but had no desire to work for the forest service. His parents gave him a 6 month time limit to come home and put the pieces back together. He went back home and communication with Scott was sporadic. 6 months passed and Scott had not put the pieces back nor really found much of anything to do, from what I understand. He was hanging out with all the wrong people from what I heard. I am certain it was a very hard time for him.

Scott and Michael, a good friend of ours, came by the restaurant (Mary and I worked there) one night and shared with me that Scott had taken his own life. I have never quite made peace with that last act. Suicide is such a permanent solution to what is most often, a temporary problem.

I called his parents to give them my condolences and they seemed to still be in shock. They were very nice and were so kind to me. Especially his mother. I felt so bad for her. They had heard about us and knew who I was. That call was so sad. I could hear the pain in their voices and we all felt sort of numb and were just at such a loss. The words were hard to find. His mother had a terribly difficult time with it, understandably. I used google earth to locate his grave as well as his home. I found that he lived less than half a mile from the cemetery he was laid to rest in. It was a very easy and simple walk from his house.

Scott, in my memory, is vibrant and fun and funny. He was up for an adventure and was really a good person. Scott loved music and played the drums. He played them even when he didn't have any. He would tap on anything and everything. He couldn't help himself. Scott was intelligent and sweet.

Scott and Mary married in 1989 and he went on to OCS and is currently a Lieutenant Commander. They have seen the world through the Navy and he is close to retiring. I know that would please Scott immensely. I wonder what would have been, if Scott had stayed in the Navy and not taken the path he did. But, he is gone and he has left us with memories. I have many.

I was searching out here for someone and thought, I wonder if Scott is here. There was only one John Scott Taylor. The fact that the middle name was spelled out was a clue (since he did not go by the name John), as were the birth and death dates. I just really felt certain that it was him. I got some confirmation from Scott that it was our friends' gravesite. It seems that GerbLady had walked the cemetery and transcribed the burial info. I wrote to her and asked if she would give me the memorial so I could write something about Scott.

I loved Scott, as did many others. Scott and Mary are among those that did. I just wish that Scott had picked up the phone instead of taking himself out.

Scott was survived by his Mother Annabelle, Father John I., and his brother James. James gave their parents two grandchildren. In the years to follow, his father passed and is buried with him and I just heard that Annabelle passed as well and is also buried in the same cemetery. I have written bios for them based on their obituaries and what I know.

Last known address for Scott's brother Jim is Indianapolis. Joe, a childhood friend of Jim and Scott recently sent me a note on this site. He said he had grown up as Jim's best friend. He found this memorial and hadn't known that Scott was gone. He said that his memories of Scott were good. They used to play football in the backyard and have jam sessions together. Jim and Joe on guitars and Scott on drums. He had found Jim as an adult but over time they again lost touch. I would love to make contact with Jim but James Taylor is an awfully common name. Jim, if you ever read this, please drop me a note.