Gary Newton Taylor, PhD

October 19,1942 – May 11, 2023

Gary N. Taylor, 80, of Selbyville, Delaware, died peacefully at home on May 11, 2023, surrounded by his family. A kind, humble, generous-spirited man, he touched many lives in positive ways. He will be missed, remembered, and long admired by many – near and far. He was grateful for his family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors who brought him so much joy during his long life of eighty years. He touched many people's lives with his keen skill for listening, supportive, caring and fun-loving nature, dad-joke humor, and passion for science and nature.

Gary was born October 19, 1942, in Plainfield, New Jersey to Marjorie and Ralph Whitehouse Taylor. Gary attended Wardlaw Country Day School in Plainfield, NJ.  With inspiration from a teacher who noticed Gary was particularly talented in Chemistry, Gary went on to complete his AB in Chemistry at Princeton University (Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude), his MA and PhD in Chemistry from Yale University, and post-doctoral work at California Institute of Technology.

After completing his graduate work, Gary returned home to New Jersey and went on to enjoy a long and accomplished career as an Organic Chemist and Materials Scientist. If you have ever used a computer, cell phone or a solar-powered calculator, Gary's contributions to science have touched your life. For 25 years at AT&T Bell Labs, Gary's research was focused on micro-lithography, the surface chemistry of computer chips. He was a lead author and contributor to numerous journal articles and patents, many of which defined processes and materials to enable computer chips to run smaller and faster and development of "eye to eye" video-phone. After retiring from Bell Labs, Gary continued to contribute to scientific innovation, spending 9 years with Shipley/Rohm and Hass in Marlborough, MA, and 3 years at Pennsylvania State University as a Senior Nanoscale Scientist.

Upon retirement to Selbyville, Delaware, Gary turned his technical expertise to helping preserve and protect the local environment. He served on the technical advisory board for Delaware Center for the Inland Bays. A committed scientist, he got up before sunrise many, many mornings to take water samples from collection points along the Delaware shoreline. The data points for oxygen, bacteria, and algae he gathered helped to inform important decision makers and members of the community who live around and enjoy these critical water systems.

Although Gary had many contributions to science, the most important thing to Gary was his loving family and his sweet cat Refuge.

Gary met the love of his life, Linda, during college. They married in August 1964 just before moving to New Haven, CT for Gary to start graduate school. They were blessed with three wonderful children, Stefanie, Kimberly, and Craig, whom they felt fortunate to raise in NJ near loving relatives. As a family, they especially cherished many, many summers at Linda's parents' beach house in Seaside Park, NJ and during retirement at Assatague National Park and Ocean City, MD beaches.

After retirement Gary and Linda moved to Selbyville, DE to be near the Atlantic Ocean beaches and to their daughter Kim's family who have a summer home nearby in North Ocean City, MD. During this time, Gary was a member of the Saint Matthews by-the-Sea United Methodist Church in Fenwick Island, DE, where he always enjoyed a good sermon and fellowship, and participated in the men's group, missions and bible study.

Gary is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Linda; daughter Stefanie Strand and husband Jeffrey and grandson Gavin of Annandale, NJ; daughter Kimberly Taylor, husband Mark Mather and grandsons Benjamin and Samuel of Bethesda, MD and Ocean City, MD; son Craig Taylor of Selbyville; brother Michael Taylor of Chesterfield, IN; sister-in-law Janice Olmsted and husband Richard of Chatham, NJ.

Gary was predeceased by his parents Ralph and Marjorie Taylor and his father in-law Robert Weiss. Gary's mother in-law, Lorraine Weiss, also passed away on May 11, 2023.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, August 17, 2023 at St. Mathews By-the-Sea United Methodist Church, 1000 Coastal Highway, Fenwick Island, DE 19944

In lieu of flowers, family suggests contributions to Delaware Center for the Inland Bays (inland-bays.org) and St. Matthews By-the-Sea Church (smbts.org). Condolences may be sent online to melsonfuneralservices.com.