WALLA WALLA — Sgt. Gerald “Gerry” Taylor, 72, of Walla Walla was not the kind of man who wanted his name in the newspaper.

But in the wake of his tragic death this month, his closest confidants knew it was high time the high character of Gerry Taylor became the talk of the town.

Taylor was allegedly shot and killed by his son, Stephen A. Taylor, 47, of Walla Walla on Jan. 8.

The facts surrounding the death are not all known at this time. The Walla Walla Police Department continues its investigation, and Stephen Taylor was arraigned Monday, Jan. 25, in Walla Walla County Superior Court, facing two counts of first-degree assault and one count of second-degree murder.

What is known is that Gerry Taylor left behind a legacy that community members said was worthy of recognition — and then some.

In fact, Gerry Taylor was honored for his service at times throughout his life, though he never bragged about it.

As a veteran, JROTC instructor and rifle team coach at Walla Walla High School, he was known by many for his skill, handiness and expertise, coupled with humility, tenderness and a volunteer spirit.

Gerry Taylor was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and spent a big part of his childhood in Bloomington, Illinois, before he was drafted during the Vietnam War.

In his military training, he began to learn the art of being a marksman. He carried this craft into the rest of his career, including in the lines of combat.

“He was a highly decorated soldier,” said his close friend and fellow combat veteran Sgt. Dutch Meier, 67, of Walla Walla.

Sgt. Mark Mebes, the current instructor of Wa-Hi’s JROTC program, said Gerry Taylor was not just a good soldier but an elite one.

“When he went off (to Vietnam), he went off with a specialized, hand-picked unit,” Mebes said. “It was a recon unit with the 101st Airborne Division. He had to be selected for that and go through a lot of extra training for that.”

Gerry Taylor suffered multiple wounds in the war. He received several Purple Hearts and numerous other awards including the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm — one of the most distinguished awards given to soldiers of that war, Meier said.

The veteran returned to Bloomington after the war and met his wife. He and Garri A. Taylor were married in 1970 and started a life of city hopping while he was reassigned several times in the Army, including stints in Germany and Panama.

Eventually, Gerry Taylor took the job on the Wa-Hi campus in 1990, where he stayed until retirement in 2010.

Garri Taylor, now 70, said life with her husband was always an adventure, but when they landed in Walla Walla, they knew they’d found a real home.

“It’s a beautiful city,” she said, adding it reminded them of Bloomington.

Gerry Taylor oversaw a program at Wa-Hi that came to produce national champions in JROTC rifle competitions.

His calm and commanding presence on campus was felt by all, said Wa-Hi Principal Ron Higgins.

Higgins described the man as having a soothing demeanor, with a soft voice that carried a weightiness and wisdom.

And Gerry Taylor continued to be a staple at the Wa-Hi JROTC long after his retirement, providing tips and pointers to the young shooters on the rifle team, Mebes said.

His connection with the campus left an imprint on “literally thousands” of students and faculty who knew him over the years, Meier said.

Gene Gossett, 74, said students didn’t just know him as a good shooter. Gossett, a friend of Gerry Taylor’s and a booster for the Wa-Hi team, said students got help, knowledge, advice and sometimes a few dollars from the generous mind and wallet of their mentor.

And if you didn’t know Gerry Taylor from Wa-Hi, you may have seen him at the Walla Walla Gun Club teaching hunter education, or perhaps at the Walla Walla County Fairgrounds with fellow members of Blue Mountain Lodge No. 13 Free and Accepted Masons, raising money for children’s medical care.

Garri Taylor couldn’t help but marvel at her late husband’s accolades and his affection.

“He was very loving and very caring,” she said. “He always put me first. I never had to worry — he was always there for me.”

She spoke Sunday with a weight to every word — with every simple “yes” and “no.”

And yet she started to laugh remembering some of the stories, such as the time her husband got a new “toy” — a brand new snowblower.

She said her husband cleared every neighbor’s driveway and the sidewalks. When he was done, he was having too much fun, so he went across the street and did it all again — a typical day in the life of the Taylor family.

She remembered fondly the “chaos” of his tools, strewn about as he worked on his plentiful projects, both at home and at a friend’s house.

He was a handyman who honed his skills by helping others, Meier said.

One of the sentiments echoed across every testimony of Gerry Taylor was his uncanny ability to drop everything and help someone in need. Structures were built, walls were torn down, leaves were raked, gutters were cleared. There was nary a neighbor’s project that he didn’t seem to touch, his friends said.

Person after person came forward to share charitable thoughts about the man.

When news of his death spread around the Walla Walla Valley, former and current students at Wa-Hi began pouring out their grief and admiration.

A social media page dedicated to honoring him overflowed with memories of a man who left a mark. Former students, colleagues and family members memorialized him with stories, which happened to be one of his favorite pastimes, too.

“The kids loved his stories,” Mebes said. Every moment of defeat or victory could be met with an anecdote. He always aimed to lift others up, Mebes recalled.

Gossett said Gerry Taylor helped with the JROTC cadets right up until the end of his life, having seen them in person for the last time when schools were temporarily open at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year.

“He was universally respected,” Meier said. “That man was welcome anywhere.”

He may have never pushed to have his name in the spotlight or in the local newspaper, but his family and friends agreed that, despite the tragic ending of his life, it was about time Walla Walla got to honor one of its treasures — Sgt. Gerald W. Taylor.