Obituary of James Taylor

James Emanuel Taylor was born October 11, 1938 to the late Sanford Taylor and Cora Moore Taylor in Emerson, AR. He was a member of Mt. Israel CME Church in Emerson where he accepted Christ as a young boy. He attended high school in Emerson and later moved to Dallas, Texas as a young adult. He was united in holy matrimony to Rosie Gay Taylor on January 17, 1978 who preceded him in death on November 29, 2011. They were both members of Greenway Park COGIC. He was employed by Consolidated Freightways from the 1970's as a truck driver until he retired in the early 90's. He was known as "Smiley" on the road as his CB handle because he was always smiling. He enjoyed traveling the country side in his big rig and personal travels with his friends and family. He traveled frequently with his closet friend, Avan Easter along with their wives. He enjoyed telling stories making others laugh. He was a huge country music fan of the likes of Conway Twitty, Kenny Rogers, Hank Williams and Charley Pride. He said people often mistook him for Charley Pride. He also loved to hunt and enjoyed playing his guitars, singing the blues and playing dominoes. Along with his wife, Rosie Gay, "Smiley" joins in heavenly rest, his son, Jerry Gay, and his three brothers, Benjamin Taylor, Jake Taylor, and Otha Lee Taylor. Left to honor Smiley's memory are his four daughters, Gwendolyn Taylor of Duncanville, TX, Elizabeth A. Taylor of Dallas, TX, Mary Hubbard of Glen Heights, TX and Virginia Harmon of Dallas, TX; four sons, Paul Taylor, Douglas Taylor, James Willos Taylor, and Robert Wright all of Dallas, TX, two sisters, Ethel Mae Manning of Westmount, IL and Ethel Bynum of Camden, AR, and a host of loving grandchildren and great grandchildren along with numerous nieces and nephews. The Lord blessed him to live a full and enriched life with a family who loved him deeply.