W. Taylor Obituary

W. Lee Taylor, Jr.

December 19, 1947 - March 7, 2026

Charleston, South Carolina - William Lee Taylor, Jr., 78 of Charleston, South Carolina, passed away on Saturday, March 7, 2026, surrounded by his loving family.

Born on December 19, 1947, in Columbia, SC, Lee was the first born and only son of the late Marjorie Elizabeth (Holt) Taylor and the late William Lee Taylor. His mother referred to him as "Her Prince" and his father referred to him as "Cap" (because he was always wearing a baseball cap). He was very close with his two younger sisters, Meredith and Betsy. His love for his family was at the heart of everything he did.

Lee had a happy childhood and spent his youth playing sports such as baseball, basketball and tennis. He and his good friends, Rick and Ben, would collect baseball cards and play pick-up games in the neighborhood. He became so good at baseball that he made the All-Star baseball team. On his 16th birthday, his mother got him his first job at Eckerd Drugstore. He went on to become a delivery driver for the Post Office and then worked at the Baptist Hospital performing EKGs. A strong work ethic was instilled early on. Lee was a Class of 1966 graduate of AC Flora High School, Columbia, SC where he was extremely active. For high school superlatives, he was voted "Most Courteous", which is no surprise to those who knew him. He was the Vice-President of his Senior Class and was a member of National Honor Society, the Key Club and Student Council. He was also a member of the Varsity Basketball team.

Lee went on to attend Wofford College on scholarship his freshman year and then transferred to the University of South Carolina where he graduated in 1970 with a BS in Biology as a faithful Gamecock. Lee was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity. It was on a blind date with a fellow fraternity brother that Lee met the love of his life, "She Lee", and they were married in Columbia, SC on January 29, 1971. They were inseparable for the next 55 years. Three years after they were married, their first daughter, Kim, was born. Six years after that, they were blessed with a second daughter, Lauren. Over the years, Lee and his family were active members of Harbor View Presbyterian Church where he became an ordained elder of the Presbyterian Church.

Lee's professional life began as a middle school Earth Science teacher. Although he had aspirations of going into the medical field after a year of teaching, life took him in a different direction. Lee's first sales position was as a pharmaceutical sales representative. Shortly after that, he used his sales experience to begin his property & casualty insurance career with Liberty Mutual. He transitioned to the independent agent side of the industry, working for a couple of local well-respected independent agencies. In 1979, he founded half of an agency cluster that was named Mayfield and Taylor. In 1987 the cluster disbanded, restructured and began trading as Taylor Agency. With his wife Lee by his side as Vice-President and Controller, he was well positioned for success. Many years later, he was thrilled when both daughters decided to join the family business. Through his vision and leadership, Taylor Agency has grown to become one of the largest privately held independent insurance agencies in South Carolina. Over the years, Lee served on various insurance company advisory councils and as the President of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Greater Charleston. He truly valued the insurance community and all the many friendships he made through the years.

In his spare time, you could find him at The Country Club of Charleston playing a round of golf with his best friends George, Mike and Tony. The group started playing together back in the 80's and is arguably one of the longest running foursomes in Club history. A plaque in his house proudly displays the golf ball he used to make his Hole in One on hole #3. He also enjoyed staying at his mountain house in Mountain Air, traveling to new places, drinking good bourbon and spending time with his friends and family.

Lee was a devoted husband, wonderful father and loving grandfather. He was often referred to as a "true gentleman" who was kind and a mentor to many. He will be dearly missed but will live on in the hearts of his family and friends and in the memories of the lives he touched.

Lee is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Lee Caroline (Elf) Taylor; his daughters, Kimberly Elf Taylor of Charleston, SC and Lauren Taylor Huffman (Coy) of Charleston, SC; his grandchildren, William James "Liam" Elf King, Coy "Quinn" L. Huffman, V. and Taylor Caroline Huffman; his sisters, Betsy Taylor Thorne (John) of Columbia, SC and Meredith Taylor Carlen of Columbia, SC. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

A private service will be held for close friends and family at a later date. A Celebration of Life will be held at The Country Club of Charleston on Tuesday, March 24 from 4pm-7pm. All family and friends are invited to attend.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Rare Cancer Research Foundation or the cancer foundation that has impacted you or your family.

Expressions of sympathy may be viewed or submitted online at mcalister-smith.com/.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to McAlister-Smith Funeral and Cremation - James Island, 347 Folly Road, Charleston, SC 29412, 843-614-8494.