Esther Taylor

Esther Hougen Taylor died peacefully December 13, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin surrounded by family and friends. She was 97. Esther was a pillar of her family, community, and country; devoted wife, mother, grandmother, civil activist, baseball enthusiast, nature and opera lover. She had a vigorous, forceful, optimistic attitude of life, never complaining despite challenges. She always found wit, mischief and humor in simple amusing incidents and remained intellectually sharp until the end. She modeled Lutheran Christian values.

Esther was born July 16, 1922 in Madison to Professor Olaf Hougen and Olga Berg Hougen, both of Norwegian descent. She attended Randall Elementary School and graduated as valedictorian from her West High School Class in 1940. In 1944 she graduated summa cum laude from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a B.S. in Economics. She was a member of Tri Delta Sorority and the honorary societies Phi Beta Kappa and Mortar Board.

After graduation, Esther worked as securities analyst at the Harris Bank in Chicago where her lifelong interest and skill in investing began. When the veterans returned from WWII, she returned to the UW for graduate studies in Economics. She received an M.A. and all but dissertation for her PH.D. under Professor Edwin Witte, one of the architects of social security.

At the UW, she met Fayette G. Taylor of Racine, WI. They were immediately attracted to each other because of their mutual interest in politics and history. They married in 1947. Upon Fayette's obtaining a law degree he began his lifelong career in the Internal Revenue Service Legal Division, which took them to Washington D.C., Minneapolis, and Los Angeles.

In 1967 they settled in the San Francisco Bay area in Greenbrae/Larkspur where Esther remained until she returned to Madison in 2006. In Marin County, Esther was a member of the Marin Conservation League and the Environmental Forum. She was appointed a Planning Commissioner of Larkspur and was an advocate of the Nature Conservancy.

Wherever she lived, she was an active member of a Lutheran congregation. She served on the church council, as president of the church women, and Sunday School supervisor. She also led Parent Teachers Associations and youth groups. She encouraged and modeled philanthropy of time and money for church, university, public schools and community. She volunteered into her 90's.

Esther was an ardent baseball fan and lover of opera, classical music, art and travel. Twice she toured baseball parks in the East, Midwest and Canada. She had season tickets to the San Francisco Opera for thirty years. Beginning as a young girl and continuing throughout her life, she traveled extensively in the U.S. As an adult she traveled internationally and often visited close cousins in Norway.

She was dedicated to racial diversity. After meeting Eleanor Roosevelt in 1937, she became a lifelong Democrat. She and her husband were patriotic Americans with a strong belief in public service and the positive role of government. She was dedicated to political activism every place she lived and at the 2017 Women's March at age 94, she "marched" in her wheelchair.

Esther honed her positive attitudes early. At 11 she had contracted severe polio and her determination to recover enabled her to lead a vigorous life, despite lingering physical challenges.

As an only child, Esther particularly cherished family. She was a devoted mother and grandmother. She was particularly close to her thirty first cousins who lived across the country. At Thanksgiving 2019 her entire immediate family gathered and she saw her youngest great grandson take his first steps.

Esther was predeceased by her parents, her husband Fayette G. Taylor and her son William Fayette Taylor of Berkeley, California. She is survived by her daughter Martha A. Taylor (Gary Antoniewicz) and her son Richard Hougen Taylor, all of Madison, a daughter-in-law Pamela Smith of Berkeley; three grandchildren and four great grandchildren, Mark Taylor Antoniewicz (Kate Klimczak) of Washington D.C. and their sons Finley and Cooper, Adriana Inez Taylor (Gene Trent) of Oakland, California, Benjamin Taylor Antoniewicz (Mimilea Bernard), their daughter Adanaia and son Sowelu of Crestone, Colorado; and nephew Jon Taylor and nieces Melinda and Sarah Taylor, all of California.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 am, January 11, 2020 at Luther Memorial Church, 1021 University Avenue, Madison. Luncheon follows. Parking is available in Grainger Hall, entrance on Brooks Street.

Gifts in Esther's memory would be gratefully received by Luther Memorial Church or the University of Wisconsin Foundation for the Esther Hougen Taylor Opera Fund. Esther and her family wanted to give special thanks to the friends and devoted staff of Tabor Oaks at Oakwood Village.

Be still my soul the hour is hastening on, When we shall be forever with the Lord . . . Sorrow forgot love's purest joys restored . . . All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.