Dr. Frank Taylor, Long-Tenured And Beloved Enfield Teacher, Dies At 88

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Some families in Enfield had three generations of students under Taylor’s learning tree, and he was arguably the most student-devoted faculty or staff member in school history. Nary a sporting event, school play or other educational event would pass by without Taylor in attendance with his trusty camera, even after losing sight in one eye around 1990 and adopting his trademark eye patch.

Sean Patrick Crane met Taylor as an Enfield student in the mid-1980s, and took his Enfield and Connecticut History course in his senior year.

“Doc did not disappoint,” Crane told Patch. “I found the class – which he created – to be challenging, enlightening, and fun. Toward the end of my senior year, I felt deeply honored when he wrote the following inscription in my yearbook:

“Sean Patrick: I hope that a few years from now you will be on my side of the desk. You have the right mind, heart, and tolerance to do this profession. You will succeed because you know how to work. Have fun. My best, Doc Taylor”

Crane eventually became a social studies teacher at the school himself. Not only was Taylor a mentor to him, but he also became a trusted colleague and a lifetime friend. They embarked on numerous journeys together, from visiting Civil War battlefields and U.S. Presidential museums to seeing Taylor’s sons Andy and Jef in Las Vegas and Boston, respectively. There were UConn women’s basketball games, ventures to Ireland and Canada, and concerts by musicians of varied musical genres. One night in 2005 particularly stands out in Crane’s mind.

“Another salient memory that continually returns to me is the time that we risked being shot by Secret Service agents as we chased Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter out of their church in Plains, Georgia in the dead of night, calling out, ‘MR. PRESIDENT! MR. PRESIDENT!’ in the hopes of getting a wee photograph,” he recalled. “We succeeded and had great craic with the Carters.

“At the end of the day, what I may remember the most are the discussions we had on our journeys about life, politics, history, teaching, and even death and the laughter.

“Doc also started a legacy in our department. Tommy DeFilipi – another dear friend who has had tremendous influence on me – student taught under Doc in 1971, and I student taught under Doc and Tom in 2000. We taught in consecutively numbered classrooms (204, 205, and 206), and were all bestowed the honor of being named Teacher of the Year in Enfield. The three of us would work together for 10 years, forming a sort of Williams-Yastrzemski-Rice of the Enfield High School social studies department. To this day, I strive to continue the legacy that Doc started.”

Jim Malley, whose dad Ed was a well-known area newspaper photographer for many years, met Taylor as an Enfield High School senior in the early 1980s.

“I took his Connecticut/Enfield History class and Political Cartooning class,” Malley said in an email to Patch. “Doc Taylor took pride in Connecticut and Enfield history by taking photos of current events and sometimes taking slides of photographs. As the semester went on, Doc would take slides of my father’s photographs to use in class. Doc Taylor had slides of the Shakers, tobacco, Connecticut River, the Windsor Locks Canal, the Hazard Powder Company, the Bigelow-Sanford Carpet Company, the 1955 flood, urban renewal, schools, Earth Day along the Scantic River, housing subdivisions, businesses and Paul Robeson. I worked with Doc Taylor at Enfield High School in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He became a mentor and friend over the years. We would discuss local events and share photographs. In the early 1990s I would offer my own Enfield History class for Enfield Adult Education, due to my association with Doc over the years. We remained colleagues and friends for over 40 years.”

Longtime Enfield teacher and coach Bob Bromage said, “Frank Taylor was a living Enfield history. He taught an Enfield history course; that was his baby, and he knew everything about the town. No one will ever duplicate what he did. He always supported the kids.”

As stated in Taylor’s obituary on the Leete-Stevens Family Funeral Homes website, “He had a talent for reaching both the gifted and those who found school to be an onerous chore.”

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Former student Jenn Fournier wrote on social media, “God did I hate history in school! And when I say hate, I mean HAAAAAATTTTEEEE! I never understood the importance of a bunch of old people and dumb stuff that already happened. I got Doc for U.S. history and immediately thought, great gonna fail this one. On my first day in class I realized how wrong I was! This man changed everything for me. He helped me see how we couldn’t possibly know where we are going if we don’t know where we have been. Needless to say, not only did I NOT fail but I passed with an A-!! EHS was a better school for having him as a teacher. I am a better person for having him as a teacher, and the world was a better place for having him as a teacher.”

Another former student, John Mancuso, went on to become a soccer coach at the school. He said in a note to Patch, “Outstanding teacher of history and loved when he would come down to the soccer field during home games to show his support of the student athletes as well as being the unofficial photographer. He never stopped caring about the students that came through his classroom, including me and the countless others.”

Taylor’s wife of 51 years, Eveline, predeceased him in 2009. In addition to his sons, he is survived by a daughter-in-law, two sisters and his stepmother.

His family will receive friends on Friday, June 23, from 4-7 p.m. at Leete-Stevens Enfield Chapels, 61 South Road. Burial will be held privately.

His complete obituary may be viewed here.

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