In Honor of Royce

It is with profound sorrow that the family of Royce William Taylor announces his passing on September 26, 2024, in Layton, Utah. Born on December 29, 1986, in Bountiful, Utah, Royce was the cherished son of LeRoy and Colette Hunt Taylor. 

Royce graduated from Bountiful High School in 2005. There, he was a proud member of the Bountiful Braves football and track teams, which helped him embrace the values of teamwork and perseverance. He also had a remarkable talent for fixing almost anything, which led him to work as an apprentice electrician while studying for his general contractor license. 

As a child, Royce was adventurous, spending many summer days fishing and camping in Fillmore, Utah. He deeply loved the outdoors, finding peace in hunting, camping, and exploring nature. His bond with animals was equally strong, especially with his two beloved German Shepherds, Bec and Gobi. Horses and animals of all kinds brought out the gentleness in Royce’s nature—he was truly an animal lover at heart.

Royce was curious and passionate about learning, always seeking growth and improvement. One of the highlights of his life was a humanitarian trip to Myanmar with his cousin Michael, where he helped those in need, demonstrating his generous and compassionate spirit. He also possessed an eye for beauty and detail, loved photography, and expressed his creativity in various ways. Royce genuinely appreciated life’s simple pleasures like flowers and was equally proud of his patriotism, holding a deep love for his country.

Behind his battles with anxiety, depression, and addictions, Royce fought as hard as he could. These are unseen obstacles, and people like Royce face them every day. When he was at his best, Royce was warm, forthright, genuine, charismatic, motivating, determined, and inspiring. He was always on time, detail-oriented, hard-working, and very handsome. Above all, Royce wanted to be loved and to love.

Royce is survived by his mother and stepfather, Colette (Gary) Takahashi, his brother, Thomas Taylor, and his niece, Sophia. He will also be missed by his sisters, Trudi (Alan) Stark, Debbi Gale, Juliet (Todd) Rogers, Kristina (Darin) Moyes, Sharise (Steve) Smith, two bonus sisters, Linh Huynh and Luyen Taylor, and many extended family members and close friends. He was preceded in death by his loving father, LeRoy C. Taylor, M.D., and his grandparents, Thomas and Edna Taylor, Lillian Conner, Darwin Hunt and Kathryn Hunt, Uncle Jesse Christensen and Aunt Ruth Hunt. 

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make donations to Growing Out Of Darkness, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing direct services to those who’ve been impacted by suicide. www.growingoutofdarkness.org 

If you or someone you know is seeking to better understand mental health, we encourage you to explore Thrive Education, a comprehensive model, backed by research and based in lived experiences that teaches what it means to thrive and how to achieve it while removing the fear and uncertainty that surrounds mental health and suicide. Learn more at www.thrivecourse.org