Richard W. Taylor, 102 of Londonderry, NH died Saturday, August 2, 2025 at his home. Richard was born in Londonderry on June 26, 1923, a son of the late Manning B. Taylor II and Edna M. (Chandler) Taylor and was a lifelong resident.
Losing his father at a young age, Richard and his siblings helped out their mother as much as they could. He worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps. as a teenager. During his time working on the Glen Ellis Falls Park, he and his fellow workers had the chance to meet Babe Ruth! He joined the US Marine Corps and served in the Pacific. One fond memory Richard liked to tell was that he did the carpentry work in a general’s plane. After the work was done, the general invited Richard to go for a test flight. Richard was quite tickled to be flying with a general! After wartime, he worked for the B&M Railroad for many years. In 1962, Richard became Postmaster in Londonderry. Years later he stayed with the Postal Service as a rural carrier in Stratham, NH until he retired.
Richard met the love of his life, Alice Gray in Farmington, NH. They fell in love, married in 1949, and enjoyed many happy years together in Londonderry. They particularly enjoyed traveling to York Beach, ME and the White Mountains of NH. After retiring they were able to travel considerably. Their favorite trip was riding the Trans Canadian Railroad across through the Rockies to the East. They always included their children and grandchildren and mentored us through life experiences with a special appreciation of nature and wildlife.
He is survived by one son; Richard “Rick” Taylor and his wife Melanie of Londonderry, one daughter; Donna Bradley and her companion Dr. Robert Van Valkenberg of Kittery, ME, five grandchildren; Ashley Shufelt, Jordan Bradley, Jenna Taylor, Jeffrey Taylor and Ariel Bradley, two great-grandchildren; Hannah and Jacob Shufelt, as well as several nieces and nephews. In 2015, he was predeceased by his wife of 67 years, Alice M. (Gray) Taylor. He is also predeceased by his brothers; Harold, Robert and Wendell Taylor, and by his sisters; Ester and Pauline Taylor.
A calling hour will be held on Monday August 11, 2025 from 9 – 10:00am in the Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 290 Mammoth Rd., Londonderry. A funeral service will follow at 10:00am in the funeral home. Burial with military honors will conclude at Pleasant View Cemetery, Londonderry.