Taylor, development writer in University Advancement since 2017, passed away Jan. 6 after battling illness for several months.
Friends and colleagues of the late Madison Taylor gathered outside Holt Chapel on Wednesday for the dedication of a bench in his memory.
Taylor, development writer in University Advancement at Elon, and husband of Roselee Papandrea Taylor, associate director of university communications for admissions communications, passed away Jan. 6 after battling illness for several months. The bench dedicated Wednesday sits by the labyrinth, a favorite spot on campus for Taylor.
“It’s fitting for us to remember Madison … on this part of the campus that he loved so much here at the labyrinth by Holt Chapel,” said University Chaplin Kirstin Boswell during the dedication ceremony. “We know that he enjoyed walking this path and taking in what the labyrinth unfolded to him as he journeyed.”
The path of the labyrinth that Madison adored so much could be likened to the path of life, it’s filled with twists and turns and is unpredictable. And along that unpredictable path, one can “meander along, getting hopelessly lost in admiring the beautiful landscape” or they can “just speed along swatting at annoyance at anything that might delay us from arriving at a specific destination at a specific time.”
“But I don’t think that Madison did either of those things,” Boswell said. “I think that he followed the best course and he walked consciously along this life’s path, enjoying the sights and the sounds and the scents as they formed the foundation for the next step on his journey.”
The labyrinth was a hidden gem that Taylor enjoyed on his daily walks always looking to meet his daily goal of 20,000 steps. On Wednesday, his wife, Roselee, read from a blog post from 2017 that Madison wrote about what the labyrinth meant to him.
“The idea behind the labyrinth is no real idea at all. It’s a personal exercise without established goals. It’s meditation. It’s reflection. It’s clearing the mind. It’s whatever a traveler on the path wants to find,” Madison wrote about the labyrinth.
A longtime journalist, Taylor spent the past five years telling the story of the powerful impact of philanthropy upon the university and its students using his gift for words and passion for connecting with people. Before joining Elon’s staff, Madison had connections to the university in his role as executive editor for the Burlington Times-News, having worked in partnership with the university to promote civic and community engagement among Alamance County residents.
Taylor joined University Advancement in January 2017 in the newly-created position of development writer, a role that allowed him to use his skills and strengths as a journalist to demonstrate how scholarships and support for the university were changing the lives of students. During the past five years he authored numerous impact reports for donors that told the story of the power of philanthropy and how new programs and facilities were supporting academic success. He pointed a spotlight on the achievements of alumni, faculty, staff and students in articles for Today at Elon, the university’s news site, and the Magazine of Elon.
On Wednesday night, the Burlington Sock Puppets game was dedicated in memory of Taylor, an avid baseball fan and supporter of local athletics, with Roselee throwing out the “first sock” to get the game underway.