Died April 14, 2009
College: Davenport
Widow: Prof. Anya Bozeman Taylor
44 Glen Byron Lane
South Nyack, NY 10960-4705
anyataylor1@juno.com
Children: Andrew, 1966; Nicholas, 1971
Grandchildren: Dustin; Courtney; Jack; Luke; Daniel
Mark Taylor died April 14, 2009, of a sudden cerebral aneurysm, a month and a day after turning 70. He was in good health, walking, partying, writing, travelling widely, and teaching his enthusiastic classes at Manhattan College, the Bronx. He was Professor of English and a well-known Shakespearean scholar. Mark was born and grew up in North Tarrytown, N.Y. After Yale, where he lived in Davenport College, he travelled in Europe with Anya Bozeman, served in the Army Reserves at Fort Leonard Wood and Fort Sheridan, and then came back east to marry Anya in June 1963.
Starting off at the Atlantic Bank of New York, Mark followed his real interest and earned his Ph.D. in 1969 in Renaissance English literature from the Graduate Center at the City University of New York. Mark was an early super-Dad, engrossed in the lives of his sons Andrew and Nicholas, both now in business in the New York area, and later a playfully involved grandfather to his five grandchildren: Dustin, Courtney, Jack, Luke, and Daniel. He also leaves behind him several generations of students from Manhattan College, where he taught for forty years, and was known as a fiercely intelligent, superbly witty, and wholly dedicated teacher and a supportive colleague.
He is the author of The Soul in Paraphrase (1974), a close study of the 17th century poet George Herbert; Shakespeare’s Darker Purpose: A Question of Incest (1982), a forerunner of current feminist scholarship; Shakespeare’s Imitations (2002), named a Choice Outstanding Academic Title in 2003, along with numerous articles in journals and papers at conferences. His last book was published posthumously: King Lear: A Modern Commentary (Pegasus Press, 2010).
He was returning from a Medieval and Renaissance conference in Flagstaff when he died. Ironically, his paper was entitled “Hamlet’s Infinite Nutshell” about the space of Ophelia’s grave, ominous sounding, but not in his case a symptom of a gloomy mind. He was in fact hilarious, gregarious, and high-spirited, as some may remember him to have been at Yale.
—by Anya Taylor
Obituary:
Mark Taylor, Professor of English at Manhattan College in New York City and a leading Shakespearean scholar, died Wednesday April 13, 2009 at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla after a brain aneurysm. He was 70.
Mark Taylor was born and grew up in North Tarrytown. He earned an A.B. from Yale University and a Ph.D. from the Graduate Center at the City University of New York. In 1963 he married Anya Bozeman. In addition to his wife of 46 years, Dr. Taylor is survived by his sister, Ann Hanak of Champaign, IL; his son, Andrew, and daughter-in-law, Kristin, of Old Greenwich, CT; his son Nicholas of New York City; and by five grandchildren: Dustin, Courtney, Jack, Luke, and Daniel. He also leaves behind him several generations of students from Manhattan College, where he taught for forty years, and was known as a fiercely intelligent, superbly witty, and wholly dedicated teacher. He is the author of The Soul in Paraphrase (1974), a close study of the 17th century poet George Herbert; Shakespeare’s Darker Purpose: A Question of Incest (1982), a forerunner of current feminist scholarship; and Shakespeare’s Imitations (2002), named a Choice Outstanding Academic Title in 2003, along with numerous articles in journals and papers at conferences.
The family will receive friends this evening from 4 to 8 PM at the Hannemann Funeral Home, Inc. in Nyack. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to Manhattan College, Re. The Prof. Mark Taylor Memorial Fund, Office of Planned Giving, The Bronx, NY 10471.