Janyce Maguire Taylor

Janyce Maguire Taylor, 96, a resident of Leesburg/Fruitland Park, Florida for over 45 years, went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on August 26, 2021. A memorial will be held in celebration of her life at Calvary Baptist Church, Fruitland Park, Florida on Saturday, August 12, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. Janyce Margaret Maguire (also known as “Peggy” to many) was the second child of five siblings born to John Lawrence Maguire and Flora Powers Maguire on January 1, 1925. She graduated from Miami Senior High School and later worked for Eastern Airlines where she met her husband, W. David Taylor. She worked several years as a legal secretary at a Miami law firm. James Michael Taylor, their son, was born to Peg and Dave and ten years later, their daughter, Jayne Elizabeth Taylor was born. Peg devoted much of her life to raising their two children and supported her husband, Dave, through the years he was general manager of a prominent Chevrolet dealership in Homestead, Florida. Dave moved the Taylor family to North Carolina and later, back to central Florida where he built, owned, and managed two Chevrolet dealerships in those two states. Peg became actively involved in the business affairs of the Inverness dealership after Dave passed away suddenly in 1979. Peg, often expressed her gratitude to God that she was taught about God and His son, Jesus, in the home and family God graciously allowed her to be born into. She came to accept Jesus as her Savior and Lord at a young age and was baptized at Riverside Baptist Church. Later, while Peg’s own children were growing up, she served as a Sunday School teacher for young children at Wayside Baptist Church in Miami. Once she and Dave made their final home in Lake County, Peg became a member of Main Street Baptist Church serving as a Vacation Bible School teacher as well as a Sunday School teacher for the Adult Women’s class for many years. She became involved with the youth group, counseling as well as escorting groups to summer retreats, including several to Ridgecrest. She took outreach classes offered through the church and was faithfully involved in the outreach ministry visiting homes and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with those who had recently visited the church. She centered her life around activities in her church and volunteered as needed. When the property of Main Street Baptist Church merged with First Baptist Church Leesburg, Peg moved her membership to Calvary Baptist Church, only a short distance from her home. Peg knew no strangers, at least not for long. She could strike up a conversation with anyone wherever she went and often, found a way to leave encouragement behind and some reference to Jesus in her conversation. She said that got easier as she got older! She welcomed, cared, and prayed for many visitors as well as members of her church family. In addition to Peg’s church activities, she shared her love and attention with her grown children and showered her adoration and love on her grandchildren, Matthew, Tyler, Megan, and Emily. The grandchildren can all attest to her influence in their lives as she shared with them the love of Jesus and His plan of salvation. For there was no greater wish or prayer of hers than that all of her family members might all come to know Christ’s love and surrender to His perfect will for their lives. She did not let holidays or birthdays go by without sharing with her grandchildren the gift of the grace and love of Jesus. Birthday cards and Christmas cards were written with personal notes and personal Bible verses that she carefully picked out for each one of them. Within her family was where her heart could be found. Even upon the last day of her earthly life, this was exemplified when she passed on from earth to heaven within an hour after the last grandchildren had their visitation with her. She held out until she was able to be with those that she held most dear to her heart. To know Janyce Taylor (whether as Peg, friend, sister, Mom, Aunt, Granny Peg, or Great Granny Peg) was to know someone who relied on Jesus as her All-in-All, her beginning and her end. Arrangements entrusted to Beyers Funeral Home of Leesburg, Florida.

Janyce Maguire Taylor

January 1, 1925 - August 26, 2021