Dale Gordon Taylor, age 71, of Florence, Ala., died Saturday, October 29, 2022, at North Alabama Medical Center after a brief illness.

Dale was born on September 7, 1951, to Corrine and CG Taylor in Fort Knox, Ky. He was a 1969 graduate of Pearl (Miss.) High School. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Mississippi State University, where he met his wife of 47 years Betty Smith Taylor.

Dale started his career at Amoco Chemicals in Decatur, Ala., and then worked as an engineer with the Tennessee Valley Authority for over thirty years at Brown’s Ferry, Colbert Steam Plant, and the Power Service Shop. After retirement, Dale was an avid fisherman, woodworker, and sports fan. He could often be found sitting on his front porch with a cup of coffee, in his shop turning wood on a lathe, or on the Tennessee River with a fishing pole. He was a resourceful handyman, a devoted reader, a respected engineer, and a loyal friend to all who were lucky enough to know him. His greatest role, however, was that of loving grandfather. In recent years, he gave most of his time and pocket change to Annie, JT, John, Aria, and Xander.

He is survived by his devoted wife, Betty, their sons, Jason (Sarah) of Holly Springs, Miss., Ben of Athens, Ala., Zach (Shelby) also of Athens, and his five beloved grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother Mike (Sarah) of Williamsburg, Va. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Dale will be forever missed by his family. From him, his sons learned to be fine men and devoted fathers. In them, his legacy lives on.

Funeral services will take place at Williams Funeral Home in Florence on Sunday, November 6 at 2 p.m., with a visitation prior to services at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please donate in Dale’s memory to a charity of choice.