Joanne Alford Taylor's Obituary
Joanne Alford Taylor, of Miami, FL, passed away peacefully on February 11, 2023 at the age of 90 after a courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She is survived by her two sons, Eric and his wife Diane of Nashville, TN and Chris and his wife Laura of Miami, FL, as well as by her stepchildren Niki and Bryant, four grandchildren, her sister Myra and two nieces.
Born in Jacksonville, FL, Joanne moved to Baltimore, MD as a child. Her mother, a well-known soprano on the radio and stage, introduced her to the piano at a young age. Joanne excelled, studying at a conservatory for some time. Classical music and playing piano were lifelong passions.
She earned her pilot’s license at the age of 19, logging over 200 hours of flight time by the age of 24. She was named Homecoming Queen in 1952 at Purdue University where she was active in campus life, including directing and performing in a musical with her then-boyfriend, Neil Armstrong, the future astronaut. She graduated with a degree in Air Transportation Engineering in 1955. Due to her status as both a pilot and engineer, she was named “Miss Airpower” in both 1956 and 1957, by the Air Force Association (AFA).
Among the many accomplishments of her early engineering career, Joanne was asked by her employer, The Martin Company, and the AFA to travel around the country for two years with speaking engagements to over 165,000 students to promote careers in science and aerospace. She was awarded the AFA’s National Citation of Honor for outstanding contributions to “air age education and national defense”, an award also bestowed to several dignitaries, including Senator Barry Goldwater and Bob Hope.
In 1963, Joanne took a sabbatical to co-organize a six month mule back expedition from the US border to the tip of Baja California, Mexico, to rediscover the old mission trail, a trip of over 1,000 arduous miles. Her photos and journal are on permanent loan to Special Collections & Archives at the University of California, San Diego. Joanne went on to work as an engineer at General Dynamics on Atlas rockets and at Boeing on the 737 jet program where she met her future husband, Don C. Taylor, who led commercial sales.
For the last 38 years of her working career, she owned and operated East County Lumber & Ranch Supply, in Campo, CA. As an active member of her church and longtime resident of the Mountain Empire community, Joanne will be fondly remembered for her generous spirit, quick smile and dedication to helping all who needed it. After selling the business, she retired to Miami, FL to be closer to family.
A memorial service will be held in Miami, FL on February 18. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org.
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