Literally, the gentleman who inspired me to write my book, Jeffrey Taylor, has died. I am so very sad.
I tried to locate him a few times while I was working on the book but never heard back. Now that it's done, I've been trying much harder. The phone number I had for him had been assigned to someone new (to a girl about 20 who had never heard of him), his online presence hadn't been updated since late 2010 (the year I started the book), and to explain it all, I just found his obituary.
Jeffrey Taylor
Jeffrey Taylor, 60, of Scottsdale, AZ passed away on June 19, 2011. Jeffrey was born February 18, 1951 in Newark New Jersey to Howard and Sandra Taylor. He was a graduate of Newark Academy (1969), Washington University (1973) and University of Chicago (1975). Jeffrey was an entrepreneur, an entertainer and a friend to those in need. He is survived by his wife of 23 years, Toby Taylor; two daughters, Jordana Hazel & Moira Taylor; two step-children and their spouses, George & Elizabeth Friedman and Carrie & Doug LeBow; and three step-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held Saturday June 25, 1:30 pm, at North Scottsdale Fellowship Club in Scottsdale.
I didn't know Jeffrey well but he made a profound impact on my life. Robert and I met him at a commercial real estate conference in 2008, right at the beginning of the recession. He was the main speaker and we enjoyed his incredible humor so much, that we hung around afterwards like stalkers so we could invite him for a drink. That's when we learned he was an alcoholic. At that time however, he'd been sober for many years and in fact, had published his first book, A Gentleman Drunk, about his struggles with alcohol. I will always cherish my signed copy.
Jeffrey was full of life and very smart! We would speak from time to time about real estate, humor and life in general. I called him late in 2009 to discuss an idea I had to write a book - not the one I ended up writing - because I respected him so much and knew he would be a wealth of information. It seemed to me Jeffrey knew a lot about everything! Not only did he take my call that evening but he spent over an hour on the phone with me helping me sort out what to do. At the end of the conversation, he asked how Robert and I were planning to survive the recession and I proceeded to tell him about my idea of starting a call girl business selling sex instead of houses, ending that I would eventually get caught and sent to jail, and then I would write a book about my life while in prison and retire a millionaire. When I was done explaining and he was done laughing, he said "You need to do that." Of course I told him I would never really start an illegal business. "No," he clarified, "I meant write the story you just told me. It's funny as hell and everyone these days is looking for a reason to laugh." He even offered to help me get it published if I did it.
I took his challenge and started writing my book in January, 2010. Knowing how busy he was, I didn't try to contact him until sometime mid-2011, just about the time he passed away. Now, two years later I discover his death and realize his memory will live on through my book and I'm so proud that I've been able to introduce it to the world! I now hope I'll be able to track down one of his survivors to let them know what an incredible man I think he was and how a chance meeting with him has helped me change my life.
Rest in Peace dear man.
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