Larry Taylor

Larry Albert Taylor was born on December 31, 1938 in Studley, KS. He grew up on the Taylor Family Farm in Tasco, KS with his parents, sister and five brothers. He attended a two-room schoolhouse through grammar school in Tasco. He was a 1956 graduate of Hoxie High School in Hoxie, KS where he played football, basketball, baseball and ran track.

He left Northwest Kansas to continue his education at College of Emporia in Emporia, KS. In addition to majoring in Science and Mathematics, he played football, basketball and baseball. He graduated from C of E in the spring of 1960 with a teaching degree in Science and Mathematics and later received his Master's Degree in Mathematics from Emporia State University in 1965.

College of Emporia is also where he met the love of his life, Brenda Catlin, also a student at C of E, from Olathe, KS. They were married on June 11, 1960.

Larry began his teaching and coaching career at Campus High School in Haysville, KS in 1960, where he taught math and served as an assistant coach for the football, baseball and basketball teams. In 1962, he moved to the KC area and began teaching at Shawnee Mission North High School where he taught math for 38 years, retiring in 2000. He was named as the head football coach at SM North in 1964 and served in that position for 15 seasons, retiring from coaching in 1979. He also served as an assistant track coach at SMN.

The football teams at SMN were 110-31-4 during his tenure and won six Kansas State Championships (1965, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1974) and finished as runner-up once (1977). North also won 7 Sunflower League Championships during that time.

Coach Taylor has been inducted into four Halls of Fame - SM North Athletics Hall of Fame, College of Emporia Athletics Hall of Fame, Kansas State High School Activities Association Hall of Fame and the Greater Kansas City Area Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Also, the football field at SM North was named ‘Larry Taylor Field' in his honor.

In his retirement, Larry enjoyed traveling with Brenda, hosting lake weekends at their lake house at Linn Valley Lakes and watching his grandchildren play sports and march in the band.

He passed away on September 5, 2019 after a six-year battle with Alzheimer's.

Larry is survived by his wife of 59 years, Brenda, son Deron and his wife Shelly and their children, Morgan, Sydney and Jackson, and son Lynn and his children Mitchell and Alicia. He is also survived by three brothers, Harold, Ralfe and Keith, in-laws, many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Visitation will be on Tuesday September 10 from 6-8:00 pm at Amos Family Funeral Home, 10901 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS, 66203.  Funeral services will be on Wednesday, September 11 at 11 am at Grace Methodist Church, 11485 South Ridgeview Drive, Olathe, KS 66061.

The family suggests donations to the Larry Taylor Scholarship Fund at Shawnee Mission North High School. Donations can be made at www.smnsportscholarship.org and select Coach Taylor OR mail to SM North Sports Scholarship Foundation at 11004 Delmar, Leawood, KS 66211 and note Coach Taylor in the memo.