Mary Lou Taylor of Manchester died peacefully on January 27th. She was born in Gladstone, Minnesota on November 22, 1926 to the late Henry Braun and Mabel Clark Cervenka. She lost her dad to a farm accident when she was 5 and the family then moved to St. Paul where she attended a one room schoolhouse and later graduated from Harding High School. She loved swimming and figure skating. During the War, she spent many evenings at the Taylor house with the other neighborhood teens while the Taylor sons were fighting in Europe. After the War, she married Bill Taylor and they moved to Connecticut. Mary Lou and Bill were married for 64 years until his death in 2011. Mary Lou was a secretary at Manchester High School for many years and she was a longtime parishioner of St. Bartholomew Church. She was predeceased by her brother, Neil Braun. Our mother, grandmother and great grandmother was a staunch supporter of every member of our family. She also opened her heart and home to other people in need and she touched many people throughout her life. Mary Lou supported many charities that helped people, endangered animals and the environment. She will be greatly missed by her son, Bill and his wife, Robyn, of Enfield; daughter, Deborah Duarte, and her husband, Sebastian, of Tolland; and her youngest son, Clark, and his companion, Yong Chu Basenback, of East Hartford. She also leaves her grandchildren Michael Taylor, Heather Ranson, Dan Duarte and Steven Taylor as well as her great grandchildren who were a source of great joy these last few years: Tajae, Jaeden, Reagan, Alani and Alyas. We wish to express our immense gratitude to the caregivers of The Harbor at The Village at Buckland Court who cared for our mother as if she had been their own and for whom she had great affection. Mary Lou's family will receive friends at the John F. Tierney Funeral Home 219 West Center St. Manchester on Friday, January 30th, from 3-6 p.m. A memorial service will be held at the funeral home on Friday at 6 p.m. A private committal will be held at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Heifer International, 1 World Ave, Little Rock, AR 72202 with the emphasis on gifts supporting women's empowerment. For online condolences please visit www.tierneyfuneralhome.com.