U. community remembers Taylor

Friends, fraternity brothers, teammates and family members gathered in St. Mary's Church on Locust Walk Saturday afternoon to remember the life of Ryan Taylor. Taylor, a 1993 College graduate, stunned friends and family when he committed suicide in January. Taylor's life, however, was what more than 200 people celebrated with laughter as they recalled all the good times they had with Taylor. 1993 College graduate Jon-Paul Rorech talked about what made Taylor so special to everyone who knew him. "He was a natural-born leader, and he made us all feel like winners," Rorech said. "Anyone who knew him considered Ryan a best friend." Taylor was an outstanding athlete at the University, and led the men's varsity lacrosse squad as team captain. "He was someone who was admired and truly idolized as a person and an athlete," Rorech said. Taylor, a six-foot-four, 220-pound midfielder, racked up award after award during his time as a lacrosse player for the University. He was selected as an honorable mention All-American and named to the All-Ivy first team in his junior and senior years. Taylor also won the team's Most Valuable Player and Best Offensive Player awards. "Ryan achieved more in 22 years than most men do in their entire lifetimes," Rorech said. Wharton senior Kevin Reish brought a touch of levity to the memorial service when he held up several objects that reminded him of his friendship with Taylor. Wielding a driver at the front of the church, Reish clutched the golf club as he told about Taylor's love for the game. "Ryan said you have to live in a room where you can take a full cut," Reish said. Everyone laughed when Reish continued to describe Taylor, who "wearing his golf shoes, sparing two inches on every side, swung a one-wood in the middle of his room." There was more laughter when Reish added that "Ryan is what ESPN was made for." "All I can do is laugh about the times I had with him," Reish said. "I don't even get sad anymore." Assistant to the President Nicholas Constan, a close friend of Taylor's while he was a student at the University, also spoke at the service. "I know he will always be remembered as long as any of us here draws breath," Constan said at the memorial. Afterwards, Constan said the service would "bring an invitation to closure" for those who were closest to Taylor. "But some of them haven't begun to deal with the fact that he won't be 23," Constan said. "He was able to buoy everybody's confidence, ultimately except his own," he added. Chaplain Stanley Johnson led the memorial service.