William Taylor, 78, died Saturday, November 3, 2012, at Friendship Village in Columbus where he resided. He was born August 12, 1934, in the river town of Middleport, Ohio, to the late Hubert and Geraldine (Owens) Taylor.

He graduated form Middleport High School in 1952 and was a member of the Middleport Presbyterian Church, where he was an active member of the Youth Fellowship as a teenager. Later he became a member of the Independence, Ohio, Presbyterian Church. In his later life, Bill attended a variety of churches.

Bill was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Ohio University in 1956, going on to attain his Masters in 1963. His major fields of study were biological science, English, and counseling. He did further study at Ohio State’s Franz Theodore Stone Laboratory at Put-in-Bay, Wells College, Cornell University, University of Louisville, University of Pittsburgh and Vanderbilt. He was a member of the Ohio Academy of Science since 1956 and was a presenter there. Bill was a teacher, department chair, and activity advisor in the Independence, Ohio, Public Schools for 44 years. While there he developed and was director of the fifty acre school and Community Outdoor Education Center. He founded and was adviser of the Independence High School Biology Society for 39 years.

Bill is preceded in death by many aunts, uncles and cousins.

He is survived by his brother, Carl (Patricia) Taylor of Columbus; his sister, Helen (Larry) Fox of Milford Center; nieces, April (Robert) Matthews of Lewis Center, Teri (Justin) Story and children, Darik and Nicholas of Marysville, Pamela Fox of Grove City; nephew, Tim (Monica) Fox of Marysville; and many cousins.

Family will receive friends from 4-7 p.m., Wednesday at Schoedinger North Chapel, 5554 Karl Rd., where a funeral service will be held at 10 a.m., Thursday. Interment will follow at 3 p.m. in Riverview Cemetery, Middleport, Ohio, where he designed his own memorial stone to commemorate his river heritage and his career in education.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Big Ben Heritage Art and Science Scholarship at Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701.

Online condolences may be made to www.schoedinger.com.