In Memory: James Taylor, 45, Former Cop, Secret Service Agent

Editor's note: the following obituary was submitted by Stephanie Taylor.

Only the good die young, and James Robert Taylor, 45, of Canton, Georgia was as good as it gets.

Former White House Secret Service Agent, and current Federal Agent, who started his remarkable career with the Atlanta Police Department, our beloved Jim passed away the morning of Monday, Nov. 7, surrounded by his beloved wife, sister and daughters, after an intrepid battle against cancer. Jim was preceded in death by his Father, Robert James Taylor of Leesburg, Virginia, who also served as a federal agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Office of the Inspector General.

Jim is survived by his loving wife, Stephanie (Emory) Taylor and beloved children and Stepchildren Jackson Henry Taylor (14), Emerson Grace Taylor (11), Sara Nicole Triplett (15) and Timothy Carl Triplett, Jr. (14). Other survivors include his mother, Georgenne (Carvel) Taylor and sister, Susan (Taylor) Brewer and her husband, Mark Brewer and nephews Thomas, Henry and Sam Brewer, all of Leesburg, Virginia.

At his core, Jim was a protector – it came naturally to him. So it was no surprise that after graduating from Virginia Tech in 1993, he began his 23 year long career in law enforcement with the Atlanta Police Department, graduating from the Atlanta Police Academy as valedictorian in 1993.

After 5 years as a police officer, Jim was accepted into the United States Secret Service where he protected Presidents and foreign dignitaries until 2002 when he joined the Vice Presidential Protective Detail at the White House where he protected Dick Cheney and other members of the Bush administration.

Jim also served as senior criminal investigator with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and then came to his current role as special agent in charge for the General Services Administration, Office of the Inspector General where he lead criminal investigations in the southeast region.

In his personal life, Jim never stopped moving. An avid 20-year long runner, Jim was always ready to lend a helping hand. He could fix or repair almost anything and never hesitated to help a friend in need. When he wasn’t arresting bad buys or shooting guns, he labeled himself a Paper Mache Master and there was nothing he took more pride in than helping his children with school projects, always inspiring their love of learning, peppered with his love of fun.

His neighborhood friends knew Jim as the guy with the gorilla costume, which made an appearance nearly every Halloween. His children Jackson and Emerson were the center of his universe and a more doting, loving Father has never graced this planet. Jim never passed a lemonade stand without stopping to purchase the goods. “It encourages entrepreneurship,” he would say. Jim spent his college career volunteering as a Big Brother at the Boys and Girls Clubs of America – to not one, but two boys in need.

Around the time he turned 40, Jim took up tennis and joined a local neighborhood team in Woodstock, Georgia which would later become a loving network that would support him through his battle with cancer. It was also where Jim would meet the love of his life. Stephanie and Jim met over a drink to commiserate over the end of their respective marriages, and the rest, as they say is history.

After dating for a year, Jim was diagnosed with stage 4 bladder cancer. Two months later, Stephanie agreed to marry him to stand by his side and embrace him in the toughest battle of his life. July 23rd, 2016 was Jim’s 45th and final birthday and his wife arranged a life celebration attended by friends and co-workers from all over the country. Twenty of these friends came from Jim’s childhood, all the way back to elementary school, to envelop him in lifelong friendship and love.

Each of the offices within his agency contributed gifts and his boss presented him with a flag that had been flown at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. in Jim’s honor, as well as other flags that had been flown throughout the U.S. Jim gave a speech that people are still talking about it, making us cry for his children, laugh at each other and left us wanting to live a better life through his example.

Jim’s heart beat strong until his final breaths, evidence of his will to live even up until the last fleeting moments of his remarkable, well-lived life. His life, his soul, his courage was beautiful. He was loved and respected by so many – but mostly loved. It was an honor and privilege just to sit in the same room with this pleasant, quiet man whose mere presence exuded kindness, calm, and strength. There is no doubt that he is reliving investigations with his earthly father and running in the streets of heaven with his heavenly father. Heaven became a better place and no life that he entered, even for the briefest of moments, will ever be the same. James Robert Taylor lived the life of a hero. He was a man among men.

A celebration of Jim’s life will be held at 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28 at Woodstock City Church, which is located at 150 Ridgewalk Parkway in Woodstock. An open house visitation will be held following at his home through 9 o’clock that evening.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Malon D. Mimms Boys & Girls Clubs of America. 1082 Univeter Road, Canton, GA 30115 in the name of James Robert Taylor.

Image via Stephanie Taylor