{"id":333,"date":"2015-07-24T15:31:56","date_gmt":"2015-07-24T19:31:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.org\/newsroom\/?post_type=fdoc-news-item&p=333"},"modified":"2023-04-10T13:00:14","modified_gmt":"2023-04-10T17:00:14","slug":"florida-department-of-citrus-bids-farewell-to-the-nicest-man-i-ever-met","status":"publish","type":"fdoc-news-item","link":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.org\/grower\/fdoc-news-item\/florida-department-of-citrus-bids-farewell-to-the-nicest-man-i-ever-met\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida Department of Citrus bids farewell to \u201cthe nicest man I ever met\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Everette Taylor, the beloved auditor, was 61.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Taylor, sporting one of his famous soccer jerseys, during the 2014 World Cup.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

BARTOW, Fla. \u2013 Everette Taylor, beloved auditor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a title full of contradiction. Yet it\u2019s exactly how those who knew him describe his work, and it\u2019s how the Florida Department of Citrus\u2019 interim executive director Shannon Shepp referenced him when she notified industry officials of Taylor\u2019s death Thursday in Lakeland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The beloved auditor was 61.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a tax auditor for the FDOC for the past 20 years, Taylor was respected for a job well done. But it was what he brought beyond assessments and contracts that left an impact on those he met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe represented the Department impeccably while dealing with packers and processors,\u201d said Marty McKenna, chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission. \u201cBut it was his integrity and unique personality that led to his legacy as the most well-received auditor ever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Shepp put it, \u201cHe was a valued employee and an even better colleague.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everette Taylor began his career at the FDOC in 1995. Prior to joining the Department, he worked for the Florida Department of Agriculture for 10 years and spent three years as a district executive for the Boy Scouts of America. A graduate of Lakeland Senior High School, Taylor went on to earn a bachelor\u2019s degree from Hampton University in Virginia and a master\u2019s degree from Atlanta University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite solid academic credentials and decades of experience in the industry, however, it was his approach to his work \u2013 or, more specifically, to the people with whom he worked \u2013 that marked him as \u201cone-of-a-kind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As FDOC\u2019s chief financial officer, Chris Marion put it, \u201cEveryone says the same thing. \u2018Everette is the nicest man I ever met.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is something very special about a person who thinks of others before they think of themselves. Everette was such a life,\u201d said Toni Griffith, an administrative assistant on FDOC\u2019s marketing team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andy Taylor, a former FCC Commissioner and current executive at Peace River Citrus Products, Inc., had many occasions to interact with the FCC staffer over the years: \u201cEverette was just a very positive person, and I\u2019m sure that rubbed off on the staff he worked with every day at the FDOC. It certainly made an impression on folks he worked with outside the Department.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, indeed, those who worked alongside Taylor understood what an integral part of Florida Citrus industry he had become over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI just told him last week that the relationships he has built within the industry would be hard to replace when he retired,\u201d said Alice Wiggins, an administrative assistant at the FDOC. \u201cYou just mention his name, and everyone says, \u2018What a great guy!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a taxpayer had a problem with a form, Taylor never hesitated to help, said Debbie Bright, FDOC\u2019s assistant director of finance and accounting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe worked tirelessly to maintain good relations with the industry office personnel and our accounts receivable personnel,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within the walls of the Department, Taylor became a friend to all \u2013 going out of his way to connect individually on matters more important than business<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrom the moment he met you, Everette took the time to find out what you cared about \u2013 your family, your hobbies, your favorite teams, or whatever it was that made you smile. Then he made it his business to care about those things with you,\u201d said David Steele, director of public relations. \u201cIt seems simple and obvious, but it\u2019s actually extraordinary. I\u2019ve never known someone who was better at loving people in a way that made people actually feel loved. He was like every inspirational bumper sticker or refrigerator magnet come to life. He made us all better, and he empowered us to make the world better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Brandy Brown, an FDOC accountant, Taylor was considered family. Her children even called him Uncle Everette.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Everette and Colt, the son of FDOC staffer Brandy Brown.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe was by far the biggest supporter of my children. He loved them like they were his own,\u201d Brown said. \u201cHe was their \u2018agent\u2019 for college and the pros \u2013 or at least that is what he always told them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other FDOC colleagues shared similar accounts of his engagement with their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bob Caudill, database analyst at the FDOC, said, \u201cHe always started each conversation with a question about me and my family; he asked about my son or my wife or my hobby.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was always an important part of our conversation \u2013 to share our interest in each other\u2019s family,\u201d recalls Irv Smoot, a senior clerk at FDOC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe was always asking about our families\u2026 and he would ask about them by name,\u201d said Bright. \u201cHis consideration and concern for others was abounding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen he knew one of my kids was sick,\u201d recalls Steele, \u201cEverette would check with me daily until they\u2019d made a full recovery. And then the next day he\u2019d check to make sure they were still doing OK.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Taylor representing the Oklahoma State Cowboys at a FDOC Halloween party.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI remember times feeling a little too busy during the day and then seeing Everette\u2019s smiling face come into my office, asking about my granddaughter\u2026\u201d remembers Treasa McLean, senior legal assistant at FDOC. \u201cNeedless to say, he made my day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps second only to Taylor\u2019s compassion was his sense of humor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe could always count on him for some friendly smack talk and some humorous wit,\u201d remembers former FDOC colleague Eric Boomhower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wiggins and others recall Taylor\u2019s pranks with a smile: \u201cHe scared me to death jumping at me as the elevator doors opened.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lana Shulnes, human resource manager at the FDOC, recalls Taylor\u2019s mischievous claim that he experienced the same reaction when he walked down the street that professional wrestlers enjoyed when they entered an arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This playful boast prompted Shulnes and coworker Mimi Williamson to charter the \u201cET Fan Club,\u201d complete with buttons they faithfully wore around the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor a couple months, any time we\u2019d see him in the halls or in the break room, we would react as typical groupies at a rock concert, with all the holding of cheeks and squealing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside the citrus industry, Taylor made an impact, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don Selvage, a Lakeland City Commissioner, fondly recalls his first encounter with the prototypical servant-leader, shortly after Selvage was elected to the Commission: \u201cI received an e-mail from Everette Taylor, asking to meet with me. I agreed to have a cup of coffee with him\u2026 That initial meeting led immediately to a friendship bond.  Everette and I shared the same interests in helping those less fortunate among us.  But Everette wanted to do more than just talk about the problems, he had a plan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plan, it turned out, was to serve senior citizens and the community\u2019s young people by connecting the local Future Farmers of America high school students with seniors who had knowledge of gardening in a project to create a network of urban gardens in Lakeland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverette\u2019s vision was to link elders who had the knowledge of gardening with young people who could tend to the planting and maintaining of these gardens,\u201d recalls Selvage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe took the idea to others and the concept resonated with two very important people \u2013 Shannon Lanier of Lakeland Vision and Alice O\u2019Reilly from Volunteers in Service to the Elderly (VISTE)<\/a>. We formed a team that developed a plan to build the first urban garden at VISTE, which we were able to accomplish<\/a>, thanks primarily to Everett\u2019s vision and drive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Selvage, Taylor later expanded the concept into elementary schools, with students growing tomato plants that were then donated to seniors at a Lakeland Public Housing community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alice O\u2019Reilly, the recently retired executive director of VISTE, recalls that initiative fondly and describes Taylor as someone to count on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverette was the kind of volunteer that just quietly did his part and never wanted fuss around him. He just always knew when you would need him,\u201d O\u2019Reilly said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His impact didn\u2019t stop with his designated volunteer duties. In typical fashion, Taylor served as a cheerleader for VISTE staff as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOut of the blue Everette would send an email saying, \u2018Hey, how are you?\u2019 It would come at a bad moment and just lift you up,\u201d O\u2019Reilly said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cheerleader role was a natural fit for Taylor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery time \u2013 and I mean every time<\/em> \u2013 I had a presentation\u2026 Everette would send me an email letting me know that he was sure I would do great,\u201d remembers Michael Schadler, FDOC\u2019s director of international marketing. \u201cAnd he would usually add a comment about how he had arranged the Husky band and cheerleaders to be there for me, referring to my alma mater, the University of Washington. I\u2019m going to miss those emails so much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FDOC\u2019s chief economist, Dr. Marisa Zansler, echoed Schadler\u2019s experience, having received numerous emails of encouragement and wishes for good luck at presentations. And the way he worded his notes, Zansler says, \u201ccompelled me to read the email with his actual voice sounding in my head with every word.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steele recalls similar emails, before, during and after big presentations. \u201cNo matter what was going on, if you were out of the office, Everette made a point of sending a note of encouragement, letting you know he was in your corner \u2013 and that he knew you were going to do a good job. Knowing Everette was like having your own personal pep band, following you through life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The miracle of Taylor\u2019s life may have been his ability to treat every person whose life he touched as though she or he were his favorite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHis ability to keep up with the goings on with my life led me to believe that Everette and I had built this unique-to-me friendship,\u201d chuckles Sarah Nix, program manager for FDOC\u2019s international marketing team. \u201cBut his passing has shed light on the fact that Everette had maintained a \u2018unique and special\u2019 friendship with everyone in the office. All along I thought I had a special relationship with Everette, but so did everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such was the magic of the beloved auditor, the nicest man we ever met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everette Taylor is survived by his wife, Clara Denise Taylor, son, Ahmad Taylor, and daughter, Rafia Taylor. A viewing for Everette will be 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Friday at New Bethel AME Church in Lakeland, with the service to immediately follow<\/em>. New Bethel is located at 2122 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue in Lakeland.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other reflections on the \u2018Beloved Auditor\u2019<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverette Taylor was one of those selfless individuals who never thought of himself first; he always considered others first.  He was a humble person dedicated to his community and to his fellow citizens.  We have lost a good man and I was blessed to have known him.\u201d \u2013 Lakeland Commissioner Don Selvage<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe would deal directly with the staff here at Florida\u2019s Natural, but he would always pop his head in to say hello. I was greatly appreciative of that and he always did so with a smile on his face.\u201d \u2013 Bob Behr<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverette was always a source of jokes and good-natured ribbing\u2026He put two kids through college. He was always really proud of that. It\u2019s a loss. He was a good guy.\u201d \u2013 Andrew Meadows<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI always knew I could rely on Everette to be the smiling face of the FDOC.\u201d \u2013 Bob Caudill<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverette was our \u2018Good Will Ambassador.\u2019\u201d \u2013 Valerie Barnhardt<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe never changed and always had a smile on his face.\u201d \u2013 Kay Southerland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy family is blessed to have had Everette in our lives.\u201d \u2013 Brandy Brown<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverette made a difference in this world and made it a better place.  I am proud to have called him my friend.\u201d \u2013 Lura Rixman<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverette\u2019s kind and compassionate interest in the lives of his friends and colleagues is a testament of how taking a little of your time to kindle a friendship can be the bright spot of a person\u2019s day. For knowing Everette, I am a better person. My heart goes out to his family and friends.\u201d \u2013 Sarah Nix<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRIP, ET \u2013 we will always be your fans.\u201d \u2013 Mimi Williamson<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverette was not only a friend but also a mentor.  I\u2019ll always have fond memories of our friendship.\u201d \u2013 Irv Smoot<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI will miss Everette for his kind heart, happy disposition, supportive nature, and his brilliant insights about life and how we are all in this world together.\u201d \u2013 Dr. Marisa Zansler<\/p>\n\n\n\n


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