Bonnie Taylor dies
Long-time Chadds Ford Township employee and volunteer Bonnie Taylor died Sunday, Aug. 21. She was 83.
Bonnie Taylor was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in April, and the cancer spread after radiation treatment failed, according to her daughter Lisë Taylor. Bonnie was home under hospice care when she died at approximately 5:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Bill Taylor said he and Bonnie would have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in October. “She was a special person,” he said.
Taylor spent untold years as secretary to both the township Planning Commission and as township secretary. She was also secretary-treasurer for the Sewer Authority.
“Chadds Ford has lost a great matriarch of the community,” said former Supervisor Deb Love. “Bonnie served in official capacities for multiple township supervisors and served unofficially as a supporter of the township. We have lost a great woman.”
George Thorpe, another former supervisor, said Taylor was “very loyal in supporting the various township activities, and readily volunteered when called upon to fill any need. Her attendance at most township meetings provided us with invaluable information and helped the township run smoothly.”
Current Supervisors’ Chairman Samantha Reiner recalls the warmth and friendliness of her neighbor on Webb Road.
“She was my neighbor. She and Bill were always ready to help with any task they could handle, including helping out at the polls. Bonnie had a story for me every time I saw her, usually about her cats or what she was knitting or her family. They’ve been kind, gentle friends for decades. I’m sorry for the family and happy to have known Bonnie,” Reiner said.
Chadds Ford Republican Party leader Mary Kot recalled Taylor and her family.
“She was always a dependable and helpful volunteer on Election Day for the CFRP. She knew everyone, and she and her family greatly contributed to Chadds Ford and the community for many, many years. We all will miss her.”
Valerie Hoxter, the current Sewer Authority secretary/treasurer and the vice chairman of the Planning Commission, also reflected on Taylor’s impact.
“This is very sad news,” Hoxter said. “Bonnie gave years of service to Chadds Ford, as her whole family has, and is especially appreciated for the many years she served as secretary-treasurer to the Chadds Ford Sewer Authority. I’ve personally reached out to Bonnie over the years to ask for her help remembering events or finding historical records, and she was always willing to give me some time. I enjoyed Bonnie and her sharp wit. She will be missed.”
This reporter, too, has fond memories of Bonnie Taylor. She helped me get to know the bureaucratic and political landscape of Chadds Ford Township when I first began covering Chadds Ford in the autumn of 2001. Her sense of humor and laugh were always positive notes in otherwise dull supervisors’ meetings.
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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