Memories of Dean William Taylor

In memory of

Dean William Taylor

Aptos, CA, USA

September 16, 1948 - November 6, 2020

Sep 16, 1948 - Nov 6, 2020

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Ellen Uhler

Happy 75th Dean! The explorations and mysteries continue, and your works help shine light on them!

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Ellen Uhler

Happy 75th Dean! The explorations and mysteries continue, and your works help shine light on them!

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Jim Morefield

Dean's generous mentorship and encouragement was pivotal to my early botanical career, especially as my interest in the White Mountains flora grew and became a primary research focus. We only met in person a few times, but corresponded much more. I always appreciated Dean's insights and incisive commentary on botanical topics most diverse. Even more appreciated was his enthusiastic and upbeat approach toward every interest we shared. Thank you Dean for all you gave to this world and to Botany. Your legacy most definitely lives on.

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Anne Broughton

Just learned about Dean's death. I first encountered him at Delta College with Botany 1a-b with Dr. James Davis. I also remember field trips where my sister and I, as the only ones who admitted to knowing how to cook, cooked for our whole crew. I remember Dean standing over the campfire one May at Tuolumne Meadows, telling a story with his foot resting on the stone my sister was using to move her skillet to. He was so focused that he didn't notice that she was burning her hand. Later that summer he was the naturalist at Stockton Muni Camp where I was a second cook. Always wanted to re-contact Dean.

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Susan Conard

Sonora, Mexico

My condolences to Dean's family. I just learned of his passing from a mutual friend. We were in grad school together in the 70s. He was an excellent botanist and always great to go out in the field with. I particularly remember an excursion (by VW bus of course) to Sonora in the late 70s. A truly memorable trip.

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Charlie Miksicek

I had the privilege of working with Dean at BioSystems Analysis in Santa Cruz from 1990 to about 1998. I was an archaeobotanist and he was always very tolerant of the shortcomings in my Taxonomic Education. I spent several glorious months in the oil country around Bakersfield looking for Eremalche kernensis in one of those spectacular blooms in 1991. It had only been previously known from a few collections, some of them by Dean.

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Rod Macdonald

1975, A summit on Hiway 395, east side of the Sierras

In this photo, Dean is as happy as any human has ever been. He's expressing his ecstasy to Peter Brown, (back to camera). David Gaines plays improvised "Jerry Garcia like" licks for the Aspen, the Sage and the Washoe pine (think "Zabriske Point"). It is twilight. We are on a 395 Road Trip that will see us arrive on the top of the White Mountains before dawn. Dean said the full moon would allow us to drive down easily. The sliding side door of Dean's van was locked open. Rod and Pete hung out the door, holding onto the roof rack. David and Dean were up front with the windows down. When there were no other vehicles in sight, Dean cut the headlights (we forget today how few humans were around in 1975, and how little traffic we had then). We drifted down some big descents with the motor off, in neutral, listening to the night. If I could go "back" to some point in time, around the summer of '75, it might be this trip. This was trippin' at its best.

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Rod Macdonald

1975, A summit on Hiway 395, east side of the Sierras

Dean Taylor at Twilight with David Gaines and Pete Brown

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Charlie Patterson

I've always been in awe of how Dean was able to spend so much of his career in the high Sierra Nevada. Also in awe of his prodigious botanical documentation, knowledge and insights; I frequently find myself consulting his photos. He knew immediately when I queried him about this weird little monkeyflower near the Flying 'M' Ranch in Merced: "Oh, that's M. marmoratus... very rare, grows only in ... but it isn't recognized anymore..." at which point he launched into a minor rant about taxonomic lumpers who seem to fear "...dealing with Mimuli." and yes, he probably could have told you where he was that August day in 1995 when Jerry passed... During one of our recent drought years, I asked him if he had noticed certain shrubs putting on extraordinary growth in spite of the drought. He replied with: "Every year has some winners, every year has some losers." Sigh. Feels like we're all losers this year with his passing. Will miss that sly grin.

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Charlie Patterson

Verna Jigour

In memory of Dean, whom I met in 1976 when he TA’d my California Floristics class, under Grady Webster at UCD. Before the quarter was over we had become an item – he surprised me but I went with it (a different era). While it was a relatively short-lived relationship, Dean did make a lasting impression on one. Besides botany, he was an avid Deadhead at that time and I imagine that stayed with him. We absolutely enjoyed some great field trips together. He turned me on to the Hall Natural Area/ Saddlebag Lake/ Mt. Conness area, to which I’ve returned many times since. A standout memory is Dean introducing me to David and Sally Gaines and colleagues at Mono Lake in ’76 as their investigative efforts there were still young. After Dean and I parted company our paths didn’t cross again until the early ‘90s, when I began to run into him occasionally at meetings – always centered around conservation. Of course fellow California botanists could not escape his botanical insights, but I did appreciate his contributions toward conservation. When I finally got round to submitting photos to Calflora this year and systematically reviewed new submissions as part of their photo contest, I was amused to see Dean’s photos of herbarium sheets of apparently new weedy exotics – “Art” only in the context that he leaves sound documentation of something we do want to know about. Dean’s memory will live on in countless botanical records.

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Cathy Rose

As an amateur botanist, I led hikes as a volunteer for the National
Park Service in Tuolumne Meadows and Tioga Pass. One day I was
gathering a group to go up toward and beyond Bennettville when
someone sidled up to me and said, "You should know that Dean Taylor is on your hike." I was too old to be intimidated by a GREAT
BOTANICAL PRESENCE, and I welcomed him as I would anyone
else. I remember well how kind and helpful he was on that walk.
He practically stood on his head looking for Gaultheria humifusa
among grasses and sedges, and he sprinted half way up a mountain
to find Saxifraga tolmiei. He had wonderful energy and enthusiasm
as well as deep knowledge of the California flora. I wish he could
have had a longer life.
Cathy Rose, Santa Barbara

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Jim Battagin

Though I never met Dean, he was/is one of my heroes. I am a consulting botanist in Northern CA and so many times I have admired his contributions and accomplishments. I have no idea how many times he has indirectly helped me in m endeavor to be as good botanist as possible, but I'm sure it's been many times. He was amazing. Thanks Dean! Jim

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Sally de Becker

For Dean Taylor’s Family:
Thank you for giving us all this obituary. In thinking about Dean, whom I knew in his capacity as a botanical consultant, what strikes me is his high standard of professional conduct, his breadth and depth of botanical knowledge, and his willingness to share every bit of that knowledge.
I cannot imagine the dimensions of your loss and I hope you find comfort in knowing how well-respected he was.

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Bradley Coutts

Good man and amazing botanist! Always welcomed us boys growing up and cooked us breakfast every time we stayed over. It was a pleasure to enjoy his wonderful garden. Rest in peace 🌲💐🍂🥀🌺🌻

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Comments:

Stephen Rae

We met at Davis when he started graduate studies. Sharing classes and field trips we became friends. Always... Read more We met at Davis when he started graduate studies. Sharing classes and field trips we became friends. Always a bit just to the ... Read more We met at Davis when he started graduate studies. Sharing... Read more