Paul Peak Taylor M.D.'s Obituary
Dr. Paul Peak Taylor, beloved husband, father, grandfather, educator, mentor, and friend, went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, September 17, 2008. Born May 11, 1921, in Childress, Texas he attended West Texas State College from 1938-1940 and received his D.D.S. in 1944 from Baylor University College of Dentistry. He married the love of his life, Laverne (Countryman) Taylor, on August 11, 1945. Dr. Taylor completed residency in pediatric dentistry at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1951 and served at Camp Stoneman, CA during the Korean conflict as Captain in the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1953. In 1960, after several years in private practice, he was called on to develop and establish Baylor College of Dentistry’s residency program in Pediatric Dentistry. He served as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Director of the Pediatric Dentistry residency program at Baylor College of Dentistry until his retirement in 1986. Since the inception of the residency program at Baylor, 234 pediatric dentists have graduated and are practicing all over the United States, as well as in Mexico, Germany, Ireland, Guam, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Dr. Taylor was still teaching Pediatric Dentistry residents until the time of his death. Additionally, he served for many years as Director Dental Service at both Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children and at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas, where an endowment was established in his name. Dr. Taylor was truly a pioneer in the development of pediatric dentistry as a specialty of dentistry, being only the second in Texas to have received formal training and the third to obtain Diplomate status of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. He was a Fellow in the American College of Dentists and a life member of the American Dental Association, the Texas Dental Association and the Dallas County Dental Society. In 1992, Dr. Taylor received the Distinguished Service Award in Pediatric Medicine from the Children’s Medical Foundation, was inducted into the Baylor College of Dentistry Hall of Fame in 1999, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002 from the Dallas County Dental Society. As a lifetime Mason, Dr. Taylor received the three degrees of Masonry in 1945 at Dallas Masonic Lodge #760. He affiliated and became a plural member with Knox-Corinthian Masonic Lodge #851. He received recognition from the Grand Lodge of Texas for his 50 and 60 years as a Master Mason. In 1945 he petitioned and received the Scottish Rite Degrees of Freemasonry in the Dallas Valley. In 2001 he was honored by The Supreme Council Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction and was invested as a Knight Commander of the Court of Honor. He was recognized as a 50-year Scottish Rite Mason in the Dallas Scottish Rite Valley. In 1952 he became a member of Hella Shrine in Dallas and was also recognized as a 50-year Shriner. Dr. Taylor was a long time and faithful member of the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration. He was preceded in death by his parents Noah Peak and Lois C. (Vinson) Taylor and his son Scott V. Taylor. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Laverne Taylor, daughter Anne Taylor, and grandchildren Alexander, Amanda and Victoria von Sachsen-Altenburg and many friends and students. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children Dental Service, 2222 Wellborn St, Dallas, TX 75219; or the Paul P. Taylor Pediatric Dentistry Association Endowment Fund, Children’s Medical Center Foundation, 2777 Stemmons Freeway, Suite 1025, Dallas, TX 75207 or the Baylor Oral Health Foundation BCD, Pediatric Support Fund, 3600 Gaston Ave., #1151, Dallas, TX 75246. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, September 20 at 1:00PM at the Church of the Transfiguration, 14115 Hillcrest, Dallas, TX 75254. Visitation will be Friday evening, September 19 from 5:30-7:30 pm at Restland Funeral Home, 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75243.
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