Monica Lynn Taylor's Obituary
Monica Lynn (Bailey) Taylor, 73, of St. Petersburg, Florida, passed away on March 23, 2026, following a more than two year battle with Merkel Cell carcinoma.
Monica was born January 13, 1953 in Bloomington, Illinois, the daughter of George and Joyce (Waltz) Bailey.
Monica graduated from Bloomington High School in 1971, then went on to Illinois State University, earning a masters degree in Education Administration.
Monica married Donald Dean Taylor on November 11, 1972 at Park United Methodist Church in Bloomington, Illinois, with Minister Donald J. Jones officiating. Monica and Don first met in 9th Grade and weren’t initially drawn to each other as one was a bookworm and the other more interested in sports. But those differences melted away over the following year. They started dating during their sophomore year and off/on (mostly on) throughout high school and shortly before their 20th birthdays were married. They were best friends and partners for more than 53 years, that gave us 3 amazing sons, 10 awesome grandchildren, and most recently a great-grandson.
Monica worked for Pinellas County Schools for over 30 years in a variety of positions including K-12 Special Education Teacher. Curriculum Development Coordinator, Achievement Specialist, Reading Coach, Grant Writing and Management, Librarian, Technology Specialist and numerous other roles. Along the way, she earned numerous awards and recognition including Pinellas County CHADD Teacher of the Year and Outstanding Educator Finalist.
Monica had many interests and hobbies, among them being a lifelong student and teacher, cooking, traveling around the USA and the world, playing and teaching Mahjong, sewing, reading with multiple book clubs, playing slot machines at casinos, activities with the St. Petersburg Women’s Club, eating out regularly with her Girls Lunch Out (GLO) peeps, trivia nights, tennis, pickleball, hiking, kayaking and the list goes on and on. While she loved all these things, the most cherished above all was the time she got to spend with our beloved family – our sons and their wives, our grandchildren and great grandson. The joy, the laughter, learning new things together, exploring and showing love for one another.
Remaining to cherish Monica’s memory are her husband, Donald; children, Brian, Jeff and Greg; grandchildren, Kirsten, Allison, Matthew, Daniel, Bailey, Lauren, Reese, Ella, Riley and Aurora; great-grandchild, Theo; sister, Chris; brother, Steve; nieces and nephews, Andrea and Tyler; and daughters-in-law Marcie, Christine and Amber.
Preceding Monica in death were her parents, George and Joyce.
Celebration of Monica's life will be at Memorial Park Funeral Home on Friday, April 3, from 1:00 - 3:00 PM.
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