Darrel Lee Taylor

Darrel Lee Taylor, 88, of Longmont passed away peacefully at his home on August 29, 2026. He was a cherished husband, father, grandfather, brother, cousin and uncle, and his presence will be deeply missed.

Darrel was born on July 4, 1938 in Concordia, Kansas to Max and Lucile Taylor, and he spent his school years in Salina. He worked on the family farm as a child, and later was trained in masonry by his father, who was a construction worker. His father taught him a strong work ethic and a love of working with his hands, which he carried with him for the rest of his life. They both worked on new homes in Salina and in Phoenix, and in later years he built many brick fireplaces, additions and block walls for folks around Longmont. After graduating high school, Darrel joined the Navy and served in California and Alaska for four years.

Darrel married Joyce Snead in October of 1960, eloping one week after he was discharged from the service. The couple moved to Longmont in 1964, where they established a life with their children. He was proud to be an Air Traffic Controller, a career he started in 1961. His employment was cut short by the PATCO strike of 1981. He was a staunch union member, and stood on strike with over 11,000 other controllers around the country. Darrel continued to meet with a group of his PATCO buddies over the ensuing years, and never expressed regret for participating in the strike. As an avid reader and history buff, it is fitting that he is part of the history of American aviation.

In 1978 Darrel and Joyce opened Midcourt Athletic Footwear on North Main Street in Longmont, and over the next two plus years they served people of all ages at the beginning of the tennis shoe craze. They even painted the plain swooshes on hundreds of pairs of Nikes to match local school colors—by hand! Over the years they grew their business from the ground up together, all the while making enduring friendships that have stood the test of time. In later years Darrel also treasured the friends he made at the Longmont Rec Center, where you would find him and Joyce every morning for nearly two decades. They hosted many celebrations with family and friends on his highly manicured backyard. The man loved his lawn. He also loved music, the Kansas State University Wildcats and the Los Angeles Dodgers. How wonderful that he lived to see them win two world series in a row!

In the end, it was family that meant the most to Darrel. He raised five children with Joyce, and loved telling stories about them and to them. He made Halloween amazing for his kids, ushering them around the neighborhood in a time when knocking on doors to trick-or-treat was still the norm. He had fond memories of childhood Christmas celebrations, and he made every Yuletide glitter as only he could. His birthday never went by without several fireworks being set off—he would pass the torch (punk) to anyone nearby, including his very young great-grandchildren. Darrel and Joyce planned adventures for their family, including trips to the mountains, weekly ice skating dates, drive-in movie nights and occasional fishing outings. He captained many road trips to see family in Kansas and California, but his crowning vacation triumph was a two-week car trip in 1976 that took the entire family through 25 states and Washington DC. Over the years he and Joyce traveled by car through each of the contiguous 48 states, an achievement that pleased them both. As their family grew they attended any and every sporting event their grandchildren played, and they never missed a school performance or awards night if they could help it. They were even bigger cheerleaders for their grandchildren then they had been for their kids.

Darrel is preceded in death by his son, Mike, his parents and three of his siblings—Ed, Nola and Verla—as well as countless dear friends. He is survived by his wife of nearly 66 years, Joyce. He is survived by his children: Dianne (Paul) Flanders, Karen (Rich) Griffith, Stephanie Taylor and Marcie (Ken) Brozovich. He is survived by his grandchildren: Lina, Hadley and Kate Vogler; Amy (Griffith) + Mark Sorensen, Amanda (Griffith) + Jarrett Jochum and Jake (Abby) Griffith; Alexis (Brozovich) + Gavin Devlin and Meghan (Brozovich) + Nick Banks. By the time of his death they had gifted him with six amazing great grandchildren: Darrel’s seventh great grandchild was born three days after his death. He is survived by many friends and family members, including his brothers Lynn (Bobbie) Taylor and Wayne (Judy) Taylor, who have made a point to visit him over the years to share their love and laughter. He loved them all right back.

A memorial service and celebration of life will be held in Darrel’s honor on Monday, September 21 at the Longmont American Legion Post (315 S. Bowen Street) starting at 10 a.m., and you are welcome to attend. A reception will follow. Please park in the lot across the street and not in the post’s parking lot if you are not a member of the Legion. In lieu of flowers the family requests that you make a donation to Smile Train, an international nonprofit that Darrel supported for years.