Joseph Berens Taylor

Joseph Berens Taylor, a retired airline pilot and father of six, passed away of natural causes on May 13 in Boise. He was a month shy of his 86th birthday.

He had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, though the condition never fully progressed. He remained friendly and retained his sense of humor pretty much until the end.

For the past eight years, Joe lived in Eagle, Idaho, with his wife, Margaret (née Thengvall; later Gee). They first met in high school in the 1950s in Biggs, a small town in Northern California. As family legend has it, Margaret’s father, Ralph, was taken with Joe’s athletic prowess on the football field and basketball court and told him so after a couple of games.

The Taylor family—Ralph, Leona, and Joe—moved to Willows, California, where Joe had been born. (Joe’s older sisters, Lorajean, known as Jeannie, and Lovie, had already moved out.) He attended his senior year in high school there, playing on the football and basketball teams.

Joe was offered a full football and basketball scholarship to the University of North Dakota. He excelled on the football team, playing halfback on offense and safety on defense. During the 1961 season, he rushed for 248 yards, had 135 receiving yards, and scored 38 points. He was selected as the team’s “most valuable back.” His player number, 24, remained his favorite number throughout his life.

As a teenager, Joe was captivated by the sight of crop dusters sweeping low over nearby fields. The thought of becoming a pilot thrilled him, and he decided to learn how to fly a plane and pursue a career in aviation.

In college, Joe enrolled in ROTC, and after graduation he joined the U.S. Air Force. He was stationed at Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas, where he learned to fly the T-38, and later Otis Air National Guard Base in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where he gained significant flight time. After five years, he deployed to Vietnam, stationed in Korat, Thailand. He primarily flew T-38s on reconnaissance missions. He also piloted Lockheed C-121s and U-10s, sometimes landing them in areas without prepared runways, including short jungle clearings. His third son, Brett, was born in 1968 while Joe was overseas. His fourth son, Rick, was named after a close friend serving with him.

After returning to the United States, Joe became a pilot for Western Airlines. He loved Western, with its memorable ad tagline, “The only way to fly.” Around the same time, he also joined the Air National Guard. He flew Cessna O-2 aircraft, sometimes transporting the governor of California and other dignitaries. At air shows, he became known for flying the plane backward, made possible by strong winds and low air speeds.

For many years with Western, he was based at the San Francisco International Airport and commuted from towns many miles away, including Dixon. Joe served as first officer on the Boeing 737 and later the 727. In 1987, Delta Air Lines and Western merged. At Delta, he mastered additional aircraft, including the DC-10. In the later years of his flying career, he served as captain on the 757 and 767.

Following mandatory retirement at age 60 in 2000, he worked part-time as a simulator flight instructor for Delta pilots. He also would assert to anybody who would listen that age 60 was too young for mandatory retirement. The flying public was missing out on healthy and highly experienced pilots, he said. In 2007, the longtime “Age 60 Rule” was abolished, and the mandatory retirement age was lifted to 65.

In retirement, Joe enjoyed playing golf, occasional tennis, and watching sports, including football, basketball, and hockey. He especially enjoyed watching his son Grant play tennis and cheering on his grandchildren in golf and many other sports.

In his later years, he became more active in his church community, and his Christian faith became an ever more meaningful source of peace and strength. He found great meaning in reading Scripture and discussing questions of faith with others.

Joe’s adult life unfolded in three chapters. He and his first wife, Bev (née Ferris, now Hansen), made their home in Northern California, where they raised five children: Joe Jr., Tim, Brett, Rick, and Heather. They were married for 15 years.

Later, with his second wife, Beverly (née Arthur), he lived in Salt Lake City and welcomed a son, Grant. They were married for 34 years, until her death in January 2017.

In Boise, Joe found happiness with his third wife, Margaret, and was blessed with three adult stepchildren: Colette, David, and Ian. He also delighted in a large and growing group of step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who brought him much pride and joy.

His immediate beloved surviving grandchildren include Benjamin, Morgan, Addison, and Colten, from Brett and Stephanie; Taylor and Reagan, from Heather and Jerry; Ella, from Tim (and now Tatiana); and Giuliana (Gigi) and Griffin, from Grant and Cierra.

Years ago, Joe liked to joke that with his first five kids he had created his own basketball team. Over the years, this team grew into a full bench and spilled into the bleachers. One day, it may fill an entire stadium. And somewhere high above, a jersey bearing the number 24 will float in the rafters.

A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, May 19, at 11:00 a.m. at Eagle Nazarene Church, 1001 W. State Street, Eagle, Idaho. He will be laid to rest in Salt Lake City at a later date.