Carolyn Van Haltom Taylor passed away on Feb. 4, 2024, at the age of 88.
Born in Rockwood, Tennessee to the late Paul Akerman Haltom and Marie Wheeler Haltom, she was baby sister to brother Charles Paul Haltom. The siblings were lifelong friends.
Carolyn grew up in Rockwood, frequently visiting her grandmother, uncles and cousins in nearby Crab Orchard, Tennessee. She was a member of the 1952 class of Rockwood High School and served as a majorette. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from Tennessee Tech University.
After college, Carolyn moved to Nashville to begin her career where she met and married Ray Taylor. They would raise three daughters on a foundation of love, hard work, and adventurous vacations. Making family time a priority, they spent summers vacationing at the beach and camping in their favorite spots across Tennessee — Cades Cove, Fall Creek Falls, and Center Hill Lake — creating countless family memories. After Ray’s death in 1991, she continued steering her own adventures by driving her Winnebago to winter in Florida.
While she loved the outdoors, she enjoyed several other hobbies. She designed and sewed custom clothes for her trio of young daughters. She enjoyed knitting, reading, dancing, exercise, and time with friends. Her greatest devotion was to the Tennessee Volunteers. She was a member of Rockwood United Methodist Church. In Nashville, she attended Woodmont Baptist Church where she enjoyed Sunday School and choir.
Carolyn had a long career as a medical technologist, first at Vanderbilt Hospital followed by a long tenure at Veterans Administration Hospital. In the 1980’s, she was inspired to earn her second bachelor’s degree in accounting, followed by an M.B.A. from Middle Tennessee State University. She loved the vibrant energy of a college campus.
She loved to laugh. Even when she grew too weak to communicate, her wit was crisp and clear and signaled she understood exactly what was happening.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Ray Taylor; and brother, Paul Haltom.
She is survived by her daughters, Pattye Taylor-Phillips (Matt Phillips Sr.), Betsy Taylor Welch (Jackson Welch Jr.), and Julie Taylor; granddaughter, Olivia Bates Lofton (Rodd Lofton Jr.); grandsons, Clay Welch (Mary Campbell Welch), Taylor Welch (Meghan Hart Welch), Nathan Welch, and Brendan Phillips; great-grandson, James Thomas Welch; great-granddaughter, Sutton Elizabeth Welch; and various cousins.
The family would like to extend special thanks to all her wonderful, devoted caregivers including Gwen Allen, Mona Merritt, Shawanda Tucker and assistant Kimberly Graham.
The family will receive friends on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, from 12-1 p.m. at Evans Mortuary in Rockwood, Tennessee. Funeral service will follow at 1 p.m. with Rev. David Tabor officiating. Graveside and interment service will follow in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Rockwood.
Evans Mortuary is serving the family of Mrs. Carolyn Haltom-Taylor. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Rockwood United Methodist Church, 801 N. Kingston Avenue, Rockwood, TN 37854.
