Mr. James Anthony Taylor of Riverview, Florida passed away on Sunday, June 11, 2023. Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, July 6, 2023, 11:00 a.m. at Ray Williams Memorial Chapel, 301 N. Howard Avenue Tampa FL 33606 with Pastor Tye Maner Officiating. Interment with military honors will follow in Sarasota National Cemetery. MASK RECOMMENDED.
James was a native of Denver, CO and a resident of Tampa, FL for six years. A brilliant technologist, he was a software engineering professional with a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology – Software from Western Governors University. He studied Computer Science at the United States Naval Academy, Class of 1993. He held certifications in Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and other technologies from Microsoft, Oracle, and other industry leaders. James also held a patent issued in 2007 for an equipment maintenance and monitoring system that preemptively predicted equipment failures and efficiently performed servicing and parts replacement in equipment, thereby reducing service calls. James was employed as a Senior Software Engineer by Optum, part of the United Health Group. He gave of himself and his God-given gifts and talents to others unselfishly whenever support was needed.
James was born at Ft. Carson Army Hospital in Colorado Springs, CO on May 22, 1970, to Linda F. Taylor (Longmire) and James S. Taylor, Jr. James lived in Italy and Turkey as an Air Force dependent and was the son and grandson of veterans which informed his love of travel, languages, and all things military. He loved his time on ships and in planes and flew small aircraft in his spare time.
James was blessed. He adored his young daughter Ayanna, was a mentor and adviser to the young people in his family and loved to talk and laugh (loudly and robustly). James will be deeply missed by a host of loving family members and friends that are too numerous to list.
He leaves to cherish his memory: his parents of Apollo Beach, FL; his daughter, Ayanna Faye Taylor (mother, Chrystyna Taylor) of Douglas, WY; and his brothers, Quincy Taylor (Estela) of Denver, CO, and Whitney Taylor (Alicia) of Riverview, FL.