Fredrick "Fred" Taylor passed peacefully at his home in O'Fallon, Ill., on September 7, 2025 following a 10-year battle with cancer. He was born in a U.S. Army Hospital in Sagamihara, Japan, in 1956.

Fred had a career in computer database design, eventually settling into a 30-year career with the USAF Transportation team at Scott Air Force Base. His life was marked by a steadfast commitment to his family, a love of hiking and kite-flying, an inextinguishable desire to pursue the latest scientific research, and a passion in the best and worst of times for Very Cherry Jellybeans, cats and dogs of all types, and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Fred had a purpose he lived by: "Primarily providing security for my family, so they can live life with less worry and stress and more joy." When meeting new people, as he loved to do, he was known to introduce himself as "just a lucky guy who sought to encounter the world with compassion and dignity for all creatures."

He was also guided by the words of the theologian John Wesley, who called on us to "do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."

He will be missed by friends, family, and furry fellows of all sorts. He is survived by his wife, Paula, his sons Alex and Ben, daughter-in-law Mira, grandson Asylkhan, and two loving cats named Minnie and Lester, all in the Metro East. He is additionally survived by his brother Robert and wife Darlene in Logan, Ohio, and brother Bing in Sarasota, Fla., along with nieces and nephews throughout the United States. He was preceded in death by his mother, Helen, his father, Arch, and cats too numerous to mention, all of whom are presumably waiting impatiently for snacks in the afterlife.

A visitation will be held on Fred's birthday, Sunday, September 21, 2025, 2-6 p.m. Central Time at Wolfersberger Funeral Home, 102 W. Washington St., O'Fallon, Ill. Friends and family are welcome to attend as we cherish and honor him on the same day he entered the world; those who are unable to attend in person or wish to attend virtually can do so via Wolfersberger's stream at that time.

Donations may be made to the Belleville Area Humane Society.