Richard Stockton Taylor

Richard Stockton "Stocky" Taylor, Jr.

Stocky Taylor, 64, of Bethlehem died Monday, March 23, 2009 at the Hospice House of the VNA of St. Luke's. Born in Washington DC he was the son of the late R. Stockton Taylor and Elizabeth Griffith Taylor.

Stocky graduated from The Haverford School, where he was injured in a wrestling match at the age of 16 that rendered him a quadriplegic. He graduated from Lehigh University before serving as a stockbroker and a partner in a real estate development company focused on day care centers. Stocky was an involved member of the community, primarily serving the mentally and physically handicapped. He was a Board member of the Lehigh Valley Association of Retarded Citizens and the Health Systems Council of Lehigh Valley. He was a guest lecturer at Bryn Mawr Hospital and St. Luke's Hospital Schools of Nursing. He was a panelist at the Lehigh University School of Business on the topic of diversity in the workplace. He has served for 17 years as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Good Shepherd Home in Allentown.

He has been recognized by Good Shepherd for his community leadership, inducted as the first recipient of the Special Recognition award in the Haverford School Athletic Hall of Fame, and was recently chosen to be honored by the Pennsylvanians with Disabilities Day Committee on April 17, 2009 for helping to found the inaugural luncheon 20 years ago.

Stocky was an accomplished painter, painting with the paintbrush in his mouth. His zest and respect for life emanated in everything he did.

Stocky will be lovingly remembered by his sister Isabelle T. Vauclain of Morrisville, N.C., nephew Jacques L. Vauclain, his wife Stephanie and their children Will, Caroline and Grace of Rosemont, PA, his niece Lesley V. Lloyd, her husband Winston and their children Jack, Sam and Kara of Cary, N.C., Paulette Balshi of Bethlehem, Tim Balshi, his wife Soraya and their daughter Ana Pauline of Bethlehem and Mike Balshi and his fianc Carolyn Carley of Lakewood, CO and Steve Balshi Bethlehem, PA. He will also be missed by many, many wonderful neighbors and friends who loved him dearly.

Services to Celebrate Stocky's life will be held at Connell Funeral Home, 245 E. Broad St., Bethlehem on Saturday, April 4, 2009 at 11:30AM. Please call from 10:45AM till time of services. Burial will be private.

Please direct memorial contributions in Stocky's name to the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network, 850 S. 5th St., Allentown, PA 18103 or The Haverford School, 450 Lancaster Ave., Haverford, PA 19041.