John Benjamin Taylor III

John Benjamin Taylor, III, was born in Asheville, North Carolina, the only son of John Benjamin Taylor, Jr., and his wife Amanda Felicia Allen. Both of his parents were natives of South Carolina. He is the grandson of Harriet Catherine Dibble and Reverend Doctor John Benjamin Taylor, Sr. of Orangeburg, South Carolina. His maternal grandmother was Amanda Stegall Allen of Seneca, South Carolina and later, Asheville, North Carolina. John spent his very early years in Asheville, before the family moved to the Nation’s Capital during the World War II, migration. Asheville was John’s second home, since he loved Asheville and spent all of summers with his grandmother, while growing up, where he enjoyed being a caddie at Grove Park Inn. He cherished these memories and often recalled these special days. He attended public schools in Washington, D. C. graduating from Roosevelt High School in 1957. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree (B.A.) from West Virginia State University in 1962. During his graduation, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Adjutant General Corps (AGCORP), becoming the first military graduate from West Virginia State University to be selected in the AG Corps. Lt. Taylor was a graduate of the United States Army Adjutant Generals School, at Fort Harriston, Indianapolis, Indiana. Lt. Taylor was assigned to the AG/G-1 of the Commandant General for the Transportation Corps, at Fort Eustis, Virginia. He was later assigned to the National Rifle Matches in Sanduskee, Ohio. He received numerous commendations for his service. He was Honorably discharged from the United States Army in 1964. After leaving the military, Lt. Taylor was hired as the Military Instructor for Cardozo High School, where he taught military science and rifle Marksmanship. He developed a partnership program with the U. S. Coast Guard Academy and the District of Columbia schools to increase minority student recruitment. Also, John was instructor of History at Washington Technical Institute. Lt. Taylor’s Federal Government career started when he was selected to be the Civil Rights, Equal Opportunity Officer for the Navy’s First African American, Admiral Samuel Gravley. He served as the Admiral’s representative worldwide and conducted numerous inspections. After Admiral Gravley’s tour, Taylor served as Equal Rights Officer for Admiral Jon Boyes, the first Nuclear Sub Commander, of the United States Navy. His career also included the Food Safety and Quality Service, under the Department of Agriculture, Andrews Air Force Base and was selected as the Civil Rights Officer for the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. He then worked as a Civil Rights Manager for the United States Coast Guard. John retired with twenty-eight years of Federal Service. John was a member of Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Washington, D. C. for more than fifty years, where he was active with the Boy Scouts of America and other youth activities. John was a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., for over sixty years. He enjoyed the comradery of his Kappa brothers. John was an avid sports enthusiast, playing basketball in high school, and keeping abreast of most sports throughout his life, including basketball and tennis. John was inducted into the West Virginia State University, Reserve Officers Training Corps Hall of Fame, in 2018. John B. Taylor married the late Sylvia Pendle in June 1969, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. This marriage ended in divorce. He later married Brenda Eggleston, in 1977, and they became the parents of one son, John Benjamin Taylor, IV. In addition to his parents, he was proceeded in death by two sisters, Catherine Taylor McConnell and Joan Taylor Lee. John is survived by his son, “John Ben” of Columbia; his two sisters, Dorothy B., Taylor of Asheville, NC, and Elsie Taylor Goins of Columbia. Also surviving are nephews: Wendell A. (Mindy) Goins, Jon Allen (Ruthie) Howard, E. Newton Jackson, Jr., Charles P. (Stefanie) Howard; nieces: Felicia L. Goins, Angela D. Howard, Catherine M. Howard, Theresa H. Diallo; Many great- nieces, and great-nephews: and first cousin, Joan Johnson, and numerous other cousins in the Naudin-Dibble Heritage Foundation.

John Benjamin Taylor III

June 14, 1939 - December 14, 2025