Obituary of Taylor Bowman Jones

Taylor Bowman Jones was born on March 18, 1948, in Florence, South Carolina, to Linda Bowman Jones and Euel Durwood Jones. He attended McCleanaghan High School in Florence, where he was a member of the Junior Exchange Service Club and the Tennis Team. He received a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Clemson University in Clemson, SC, where he was a member of the American Chemical Society, Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Tau Epsilon, Phi Lambda Upsilon, and received the Mark Bernard Hardin prize and the Hull Scholarship for outstanding academic achievement, both in Chemistry, as well as participated in National Science Foundation Research. In 1969, He was graduated with honors and commissioned into the U.S. Army Reserve. Taylor received his PhD in Chemistry from The University of Texas at Austin, where he was a research and teaching assistant. While at UT Austin, he met and married his wife, Kimberlyn Shepherd. Upon graduation, he accepted a post-doctoral fellowship at UC Santa Barbara. While there, Taylor was awarded a grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation. As a researcher at the Physical Chemistry Institute in Basel, the first great adventure of their lives together began. They spent two and a half years exploring Europe together, and Taylor was able to have thirteen articles published in scholarly journals in the last year and a half of their stay. While there, both Taylor and Kim came to saving faith in Jesus Christ, through the ministry of the Basel Christian Fellowship. Returned to Austin, Taylor and Kimberlyn welcomed their first child, Marcella, into the world. Soon after, they moved to Annapolis, MD, where Taylor taught chemistry at The U. S. Naval Academy for 4 years, during which he attended Capitol Bible Seminary. While in MD, their second child, Trevor, was born. Just before Trevor’s second birthday, they made their final move, to Santa Clarita, CA, where both Taylor and Kimberlyn began to teach at The Master’s College. He taught chemistry and she continues to teach voice in the music department. In 1998 Taylor was named Chairman of the Science department, and in 2001, the Mathematics department as well. His great desire to write and continue teaching led him to step down from those chairmanships in 2013. A lifelong learner, his mind never remained idle. He continued to read and write in German, as well as learning Hebrew and Greek. He used these in the Bible study he and his wife hosted, and he led in their home. His desire was for everyone he knew to live a life of obedience to Christ, and know the joy of serving the living God. Taylor was a tennis player of some skill, enjoyed golf, watching classic movies and playing jazz drums. Through Kimberlyn, his love for classical music was expanded to include opera. He also was a true Southern gentleman with lovely manners and a kind and giving spirit. He has left an important legacy to and through his children and students. He truly was a Renaissance man. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 43 years, Kimberlyn, his daughter Marcella, his son, Trevor (Jennifer), two grandchildren, Eden and Judah, his brother, E. D. Jones II (Quinnie), and their son, E.D. Jones, III. Memorial service was at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, CA, Thursday, June 11. In lieu of flowers, he asked that donations be made to the Jones-Shepherd scholarship fund at the Master’s College. Information regarding donation can be found on The Master’s College website, or on Facebook on ‘The Dr. Taylor B. Jones Memorial Page’.