THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 24, 1995 TAG: 9503220159
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JO-ANN CLEGG, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
JOSEPH D. TAYLOR III, vice president of Taylor's Do-It Centers, got ambushed in the conference room of his company's corporate headquarters last Friday and he loved every minute of it.
At least he did after he got over the fear that hit him when, in response to a call from his brother saying that he was needed at the office, he arrived to find both his mother's and his wife's cars in the parking lot.
The occasion was a surprise presentation by the Virginia Beach Jaycees of a plaque naming Taylor as 1994 Outstanding Young Citizen of Virginia Beach.
The ambush was part of a carefully formulated plan involving the Jaycees and members of the Taylor family. But it almost went awry.
Had things gone as planned, Taylor would have been out of the office until 11 a.m.
Ironically, it was the sense of civic duty for which the Jaycees were honoring Taylor that almost kept him from showing up. With Jaycees members Beth McOsker, Kristin Bean and Ward Douglas already on the scene, family members frantically tracked Taylor down at a School Board architectural committee meeting and told him he was needed at the office.
When he arrived a few minutes later it was Douglas, chairman of the Outstanding Young Citizen committee, who greeted Taylor with the words ``Welcome to the Jaycees, ambush style.''
A grin of relief spread over Taylor's face when he realized the reason for the gathering.
``You can't imagine the thoughts I had when I saw Mom's car and Hazel's out there,'' he said.
Hazel Taylor, Joe's wife, had taken time off from her work as a science teacher at Independence Middle School to join the occasion.
Taylor was nominated for the annual award by Frank Gillikin, the man he considers his most memorable teacher.
Taylor's community activism dates back at least to when he was a member of Gillikin's sixth-grade class at Linkhorn Park Elementary School. Even then he spearheaded such projects as recycling newspapers to raise money for school improvements and organizing efforts to provide for a needy family at Christmas.
The commitment to community continued when the First Colonial High School graduate came home to join the family firm after college, graduate school and a few years of business experience outside the area.
In addition to serving on the School Board, Taylor is being recognized for his work in establishing the Independence Middle School 5K fund-raiser and as volunteer coordinator for the Major Firms division of the 1988 and '89 United Way campaigns.
He is past chair of the Vocational Education Foundation and an Adopt-a-School partner for Linkhorn Park Elementary where his oldest son, Van, is a third-grader.
If Van and his brothers, Jody, 4, and Douglas, 6 months, follow in the family tradition, they would be the fourth generation to join the hardware firm.
Joe Taylor's grandfather started the business in 1929. He was later joined by his two sons, including Joe's father Dawson, who serves as the company's board chairman. Joe, his brothers, Bob and Russ, and his sister, Buff Koch, represent the third generation of Taylors in the company.
``I take great pride in following in my father's footsteps,'' Joe Taylor said. ``He's been very active in the community for years.''
The pride runs both ways. ``I looked at the sign on our Hilltop store on the way over,'' his mother, Ann, said, ``and I wondered if it could hold the words `Congratulations, Joe Taylor, Outstanding Young Citizen of 1994.' '' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MORT FRYMAN
A grin of relief spread over Joe Taylor's face when he realized the
reason for the gathering - a surprise presentation by the Jaycees of
a plaque naming Taylor as 1994 Outstanding Young Citizen of Virginia
Beach.
by CNB