Jerry Taylor
Mr. Jerry Taylor was a valued member of the North Mecklenburg High School faculty and of this community. He was a graduate of UNC Charlotte, where he served on the Alumni Board and worked for the Biology Department in the Herbarium. Mr. Taylor was a Biology teacher in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System for over 29 years and a Biology teacher at North for 22 of those years. While there he was an advisor for the MADD Club, SADD Club, and Student Council for many years. He also started the Soccer Program, was a member of N.C. Science Teachers Association, and served as Director of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Science Fair for over 20 years.
Mr. Taylor was a member of Gilead ARP Church. He served the church as a Deacon, an Elder, and also an Adult Sunday School Teacher for over 20 years. Mr. Taylor was husband to Cathy and father to Jake and Sallie.
“Dad played Santa Claus for the police department at Christmas. He would help deliver present to families in need. He always felt it was important to give back to the community. He loved nature and was known to grow exotic plants. He also help raise a orphaned red-tailed hawk that was eventually released into the wild. The Raptor Center named the hawk Jerry.” Sallie Wallace, Jerry’s daughter
From the 1986 Yearbook:
This long workday does not, however, detract from Mr. Taylor’s understanding relationship with his students. This sensitivity is expressed in the first class in which Mr. Taylor always says, “I love you.” This can mean more to a student with a personal problem than anything else.
Following are pictures and comments given to us by Sallie Wallace, Jerry’s daughter.
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“Dad played Santa Claus for the police department at Christmas. He would help deliver presents to families in need. He always felt it was important to give back to the community. The baby is actually me.”
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This picture is of “Dad and Mom at a prom. I felt this was a good picture because Mom was definitely Dad’s true love. You can tell on their faces that they are happy. Dad always taught us that family comes first.”
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This is of “Dad in the Navy. It was taken when he was in Japan. Each sailor would sponsor an orphan child for a day. This is Dad with the child he sponsored.”
Following are comments from a former student.
“High school students often have to be tricked into learning. Certainly they do not readily embrace being told they NEED to learn this or that. Mr. Jerry Taylor, biology teacher at North Mecklenburg High School while I was there (1981-1984), apparently knew this fact. To use an old cliche, he made learning fun. In his class there was always something interesting going on. And there was always laughter at some point in each class. Although we had fun, we also learned about the subject at hand. He was passionate about what he was teaching and very knowledgeable.
Having Mr. Taylor’s class on your schedule meant that you had one class that you did not dread. Perhaps it was this way because Mr. Taylor had a way of connecting with you as if you were the only student there. He showed genuine concern for how you were coping with high school. He knew your strengths and weaknesses. He knew about your interests.
We could see, outside the classroom, that Mr. Taylor was much more than a biology teacher. He was the teacher who knew every kid’s name. He was the teacher who was always at the football games and other sporting events. He was the teacher who saw everything and knew everything. But most importantly, he was your friend. He was a friend to students who had no friends. He was a friend to students who did not want to be HIS friend. Looking back it is clear now that the Bible on his desk did not just sit there unopened. For the love that he showed to us, his students, was one that he learned about in the scriptures. We were his neighbors, and he loved us as he loved himself.” Beard McAulay, Class of 1984